SAN JOSE, Calif. _ Sunday night was not a good one for the Devils. They were soundly outplayed by the Ducks in a 4-2 loss, managed their fewest shots in a game all season (17) and their three-game road winning streak came to a harsh end.
It was an untimely performance and loss in the Devils' chase for a playoff spot. But given where the Devils stand, with 10 games remaining in the regular season, it's not a loss that should mess with the team's psyche.
"There should be no panic right now, there should be no anything," forward Patrick Maroon said Sunday night, when asked to assess the mood in the locker room. "We're in a good situation right now. It's all in our hands right now, so this is fun. it's exciting. So no panic in here. Next game we just go out there and [play well] again."
Tuesday's game at San Jose will mark the Devils' final game against a Western Conference opponent. And as this road trip winds down, along with the season, the Devils find themselves in prime position to make the playoffs.
They entered Monday in the second wild-card spot with a five-point lead over Florida. The Devils were also only a point behind Columbus for the second wild-card spot and only three points behind Philadelphia for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
So how good are their chances of making the playoffs? According to ESPN.com, the Devils had anywhere between a 74.4 and 65 percent chance of making the playoffs as of Monday morning.
Those are pretty good odds that should have the Devils feeling good about their situation. And, hey, this team started off this grueling, season-long six-game road trip 3-1-0. But coach John Hynes said his team can't be complacent about where it stands in the playoff race, or how well it has done to start this trip. The focus now has to be on bouncing back after an ugly night in Anaheim.
"I want to win every single game," Hynes said when asked if he was satisfied with the team's hot start to the trip. "I wouldn't take any bargains, or whatever. Our next game against San Jose we've got to find a way to win it. We've got to find a way to be way better than we were [Sunday]. And it's not about what's going on the trip, or what if. It's, 'let's be here to win hockey games.' That's it."
