Lichtenstein: Devils At The Break -- So Close And Yet So Far

By Steve Lichtenstein
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The Metropolitan Division is a two-tiered society. The top half (Capitals, Blue Jackets, Penguins and Rangers) is eating very well, with a cumulative 69 percent point percentage.

The remaining denizens are vying for the scraps, with the most adept of the faulty foursome holding a 50/50 chance of securing a chair at the Eastern Conference playoff table come April if they can outpoint the fourth-placeholder in the Atlantic Division.

The Devils are in that latter group, tied for last place with 49 points in 50 games heading into this weekend's All-Star break after Thursday's 5-2 home loss to Washington.

The standings clearly state that New Jersey is only seven points behind Philadelphia for the eighth seed in the East, but the Devils sure don't look like a team capable of a late-season surge to vault over eight competitors to get there.

Their problems run the gamut from the goal on out and both specialty teams are in disarray. Other than that…

Though the Devils have upgraded their skill level from a season ago, only two players -- All-Star representative Taylor Hall and rookie Miles Wood -- bring fans to the edge of their seats every time they carry the puck.

The rest of the forwards have been at best wildly inconsistent with their production and, in many cases (Kyle Palmieri and Adam Henrique, to name a couple), downright disappointing. New Jersey's 2.26 goals scored per game is barely eclipsing last season's anemic output (2.24).

The defense corps not only took a hit when general manager Ray Shero was forced to part with top pair stud Adam Larsson to acquire Hall from Edmonton last summer, but it also has been without the services of captain Andy Greene for the last 11 games due to an injured hand. Second-pair defenseman John Moore has been out with a concussion since Dec. 29.

With rookies and slow-footed veterans in front of them, the Devils' goalies have been put under tremendous strain this season. Cory Schneider and Keith Kinkaid rotated starts in the last two games. Neither finished, with coach John Hynes pulling Schneider after he gave up three goals in the first period of Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Kings and then yanking Kinkaid midway through the second period on Thursday.

The Devils actually played the Presidents' Trophy-contending Capitals fairly even for most of the night, except no one is beating such a star-studded collection by gifting them three unassisted goals.

"You kind of create your own luck in this game," said defenseman Jon Merrill, who has gone from the fans' top pariah to the Devils' top pair thanks to the injuries. "So I think we can be a little harder in some areas, a little bit grittier, and we can hopefully eliminate some of those goals."

They haven't been able to do it yet. After finishing eighth in goals allowed per game last season (2.46), the Devils have fallen to 19th in 2016-17 (2.88).

The Devils do have the benefit of a very home-heavy slate in February, with nine of 11 games at Prudential Center. However, New Jersey has lost 10 (nine in regulation) of its last 12 on home ice.

The penalty kill unit's incompetence has been a big contributor to this incongruity. After allowing the Caps to go 2-for-4 on the power play on Thursday, the Devils' kill percentage at home dropped to an atrocious 71 percent, the worst in the league. Even stranger, New Jersey boasts the second-best penalty kill percentage (89 percent) on the road.

The Devils' power play is lousy everywhere -- only Vancouver and Detroit fare worse than their 14.3 percent success rate. I watch other teams with a man advantage carry the puck into the offensive zone and then set up with crisp passes to the tapes. The Devils, if they don't dump and chase at the blue line, tend to wind pucks around the boards shortly after entry to create a series of 50/50 battles, which, by definition, give opponents plenty of opportunities to clear.

With so much to fix, don't expect Shero to play the knight in shining armor at the trade deadline. He's more inclined to keep bringing in the bargain-basement types or call up minor leaguers from Albany (10 rookies have already dressed for at least one game this season). Some of them have given the club a jolt, but the impact tends to be short-lived.

Last season it was Devante Smith-Pelly shooting flames from his stick to stick it to his former employers in Montreal in the first few weeks following his trade to New Jersey. He has scored just three goals in his last 50 games. So don't get too excited that right winger Stefan Noesen scored a goal in his Devils' debut on Thursday, one day after Shero claimed him on waivers from Anaheim.

More likely Shero will be a seller prior to the March 1 deadline like last season. That is, if contenders find anything on the Devils' menu appetizing.

Prediction: To a man, the Devils will tell you that there's still plenty of hockey to be played, but, no, they won't break their four-season playoff drought this time around, not with the division this top-heavy. And not with Schneider's performances falling way short of his 2016 All-Star level. Even my preseason forecast of 88 points seems a bit optimistic. I don't think Shero will dump too much talent in the market, so a match of last season's 84 points is more attainable.

For a FAN's perspective of the Nets, Jets and the NHL, follow Steve on Twitter @SteveLichtenst1