The New Jersey Devils enjoyed a 8-1-3 start to the season -- and have gone 7-13-7 since then.
They have had some bad luck along the way to be sure. Starting goaltender Martin Brodeur was hurt earlier this season and they’re currently playing without Ilya Kovalchuk.
At the same time they have now lost seven straight games for the first time since Jan. 24-Feb. 8, 1986, according to the Bergen Record’s Tom Gulitti.
“Frustrating,” Devils coach Pete DeBoer told Gulitti. “I was proud and how hard we worked, but again we leave points on the table. There’s been too many of those.”
The only silver lining is that for the fourth time in those seven games, the Devils picked up a point by forcing the game into overtime. On Sunday, Devils defenseman Mark Fayne buried a shorthanded goal to tie the game:
The team ultimately lost in a shootout, but those four points over seven contests have at least kept them within striking distance of a playoff spot. They are just two points behind the eighth place New York Islanders.
The Devils will get two days off before attempting to end their losing streak against the Boston Bruins in NBCSN’s upcoming Wednesday Night Rivalry game.