Devils Have Multiple Opportunities to Bank Points Early in 2024-25
The New Jersey Devils' schedule through November offers plenty of chances to bank early-season points.
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The New Jersey Devils got off to an ideal start to their 2024-25 season, with two wins against the Buffalo Sabres in Prague as part of the NHL's Global Series. Now, they have to build on it and look to bank points early.
The Devils have a busy schedule in October, playing 13 games, including the Global Series. However, it doesn't look like the most difficult slate of games, and that carries over into November before things ramp up.
Devils Need to Take Advantage of October Schedule
There are no sure things or locks as wins in the NHL since the sport can be pretty random and flukey. It's too early for strength of schedule rankings, but we can guess what the Devils' schedule may be like based on preseason projections.
The Toronto Maple Leafs won't be an easy test on Thursday (Oct. 10), but the Devils' schedule looks doable for the rest of the month. They'll play the Washington Capitals on Saturday, who will probably be a bubble team in the playoff race, and Utah HC on Monday — an improved team that could surprise in the West but one the Devils should have an edge over.
That's part of a back-to-back that will conclude with the first tilt of the season against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes may not be what they were last season, but that'll be a challenge and a good litmus test for this Devils team.
After that game, the Devils' next five contests are against the Ottawa Senators, Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders. Even the Lightning aren't the scary team they once used to be. Will the Devils win all five games? Probably not, but they look better than every team — the Lightning included — on paper.
The Devils conclude October out West against the Anaheim Ducks, followed by the first Hughes Cup of the season in Vancouver against the Canucks. All told, it's not the worst schedule and something the Devils should be able to manage, even though they play 13 times this month.
They're already off to a good start by winning both games against the Sabres, so they're ahead of the curve. Now, they need to close October strong. With 11 games left this month, a record of 6-3-2 heading into November would be optimal. That'd have the Devils at 8-3-2 entering November with 18 points.
The key benchmark for postseason play is Thanksgiving. Around 77.5 percent of teams in a playoff spot by American Thanksgiving usually qualify at season's end. As a refresher, the Devils were out of a playoff spot at Thanksgiving last season, and we know how that ended.
November Is Busy But Manageable
The good news is that the Devils' schedule remains favorable entering November. They begin in Western Canada, with tilts against the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. Those are never easy, especially the matchup against the Oilers. But at that point, the hope is Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce are both in the lineup and healthy. That'll be a boost, assuming there are no other major injuries.
It's not like the Flames project to be a contender this season, so that seems like a winnable game. Once the Devils return from Western Canada, they play the Montreal Canadiens — who'll likely be in the draft lottery — the Islanders and San Jose Sharks. That looks like a favorable part of the schedule before they head to Florida for two games against the Panthers and one versus the Lightning.
The Devils then have four days off before two Metro matchups against the Hurricanes and Capitals ahead of the key benchmark of Thanksgiving. During Thanksgiving week, the Devils play the Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Red Wings and Capitals. It's four games in six nights, but it probably won't be the most daunting stretch, either.
November's schedule comes with 14 games in 30 days, so it'll be busy, but the Devils play games against the Canadiens, Sharks, Blues, Flames, and Red Wings, teams who probably won't be in the playoff mix or at least not serious threats (I'm talking about you, Detroit).
Don't Drop Points Against Bottom-Feeders
One reason the Devils missed out on the playoffs last season is they dropped too many points to bottom-feeders. Perhaps that was for the better because it forced significant change to the roster and coaching staff, but that can't happen this season.
Most notably, it was dropped points against these teams:
Anaheim Ducks, 0-2-0, 0 pts
Arizona Coyotes, 0-1-1, 1 pt
Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-1-0, 6 points
Montreal Canadiens, 2-1-0, 4 points
San Jose Sharks, 1-1-0, 2 points
Calgary Flames, 1-1-0, 2 points
It could get dicey if the Devils drop too many points to the Ducks, Blue Jackets, Canadiens, Sharks and Flames this season. Fortunately, I'm cautiously optimistic that won't be the case.
It was only two games against the Sabres, but plenty felt different about the Devils. Their defensive-zone breakouts looked cleaner, they played a heavier game, their goaltending was excellent, and their offense felt more diverse.
Part of that is all the roster upgrades general manager Tom Fitzgerald made this offseason, but it also reflects well on head coach Sheldon Keefe. It'll take more than two games for us to know for certain, but it seems like the team is buying into what he's selling.
And that's why I'm also cautiously optimistic the Devils won't play down to their competition as often as they did a season ago. That'll matter early in 2024-25 because they will play some projected bottom-feeders in the Sharks, Ducks, Flames, Canadiens and maybe the Blues. That should be, at worst, eight points in the bank.
Even teams who could be in the playoff mix — like the Capitals (x4), Senators (x1), Islanders (x2), Red Wings (x2) and maybe Utah HC — are winnable games on paper. There's an opportunity for the Devils to bank early-season points, and if they do, they could hit that key benchmark of Thanksgiving in the exact position they want to be.
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