After a sorely needed statement victory against the Minnesota Wild, the New Jersey Devils are only four points out of a playoff spot. The Buffalo Sabres (Wild Card 2) and Philadelphia Flyers (third in the Metropolitan Division) both have 52 standings points, while the Devils sit with 48.
Yes, it sounds almost unrealistic for those of you reading, but there’s plenty of hockey left. Johnathan Kovacevic's return has eased the pressure on minutes for Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Simon Nemec. Hamilton is on the trade block, but he had a better game where he got two primary assists on key goals to help his trade value up a bit.