It would be easy to say the New Jersey Devils are back after ending a six-year playoff drought.
John Hynes’ team went from last in the Eastern Conference in 2016-17 to the postseason in less in the year
Jose Altuve Jersey , riding a career year by left wing Taylor Hall and outstanding first seasons by No. 1 overall draft pick Nico Hischier and Will
Butcher. This was a team that made it tough on opponents almost every time it
stepped on the ice.
The standings said it all. New Jersey went from 28 wins and 70 points to 44 wins and 97 points.
Still, it was only good enough to outlast the hard-charging Florida Panthers in the closing weeks of the regular season and get the No. 8 seed.
The Devils discovered that playoffs were another level. They were eliminated by Tampa Bay, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, in five games.
”Of course, we’re disappointed,” veteran center Travis Zajac said Tuesday as the Devils cleaned out their lockers. ”But we accomplished a lot as a team. This
is just the beginning. I like how we come together as a team. We faced a lot of
adversity, but we survived. Because the league is so close and it’s going to be
that way again next year, we have to continue to get better.”
The Devils have ridden a roller-coaster in Hynes’ first three seasons as coach. They exceeded expectations in his first year, plummeted two years ago and
then stunned the league in getting back to the playoffs.
”You have no idea of how good I feel about what we did this year,” said captain Andy Greene, who like Zajac was with the Devils when they reached the
Stanley Cup Final in 2012. ”We were a lot better. The way we competed every game
down the stretch. We were fighting for each other. We were picked last in the
division and last in the conference. We took that to heart. It’s all part of the
process. You don’t go from the bottom to the top unless you work hard.”
Hall carried the Devils this season, scoring points in 26 straight games in which he played. He finished with 39 goals and 54 assists. His 93 points were 41
more than the next closest player on the team
Andy Dalton Jersey , Hischier (20 goals, 32 assists).
”I knew he was a really good hockey player, but it was nothing like what I saw this year,” said forward Marcus Johansson, who was limited to 29 games by
concussions. ”He was unbelievable day in and day out.”
If Hall can match next season and young players like Hischier, Butcher, Myles Wood, Blake Coleman and Jesper Bratt improve and the work ethic remains the
same, the Devils can easily make it back to the playoffs next season.
Here’s some things to watch next season:
GOOD GOALTENDING: The Devils have two starters. Backup Keith Kinkaid had 16 wins in the final two months to secure the playoff berth. Cory Schneider, who
lost the starting job after groin and hip injuries in January, was outstanding
in the playoffs after taking over for Kinkaid in the second game.
FREE AGENCY: General manager Ray Shero has three big decisions with unrestricted free agents: forwards Patrick Maroon and Michael Grabner and
defenseman John Moore. Maroon, who like Grabner was acquired in a deal near the
trading deadline
Kareem Jackson Jersey , played better and provided a net-front presence. Moore might be let go to create space for youngsters Mirco Mueller and Steven
Santini.
Blake Coleman and Stefan Noesen, who were the wings on the checking line with Zajac, are restricted free agents along with Wood, who had 19 goals. Expect them
back along with Santini, another restricted free agent.
HISCHIER: The 19-year-old can play. He’s not in the same class as Connor McDavid or Austin Matthews. Still, he does all the little things and he will
score more if he starts hitting the net.
DEFENSE: For the second straight year the Devils gave up 244 goals. That’s too many. Sami Vatanen, who was acquired from Anaheim, helped the defense and
was Greene’s partner on the top pair. The defense needs a star and Shero may go
after the Capitals’ John Carlson.
—
Associated Press freelancer Jim Hague contributed to this report.
—
More NHL hockey: Xander Bogaerts hit a three-run homer during a six-run fifth inning, J.D. Martinez and Eduardo Nunez also went deep, and the Boston Red Sox
beat the Washington Nationals 11-4 on Tuesday.
Martinez drove in four and leads the majors with 26 homers and 71 RBIs. Boston has won 17 of its last 19 interleague games.
Washington has lost four straight and 16 of 21 to fall to 42-42, its first time at .500 since it was 17-17.
Red Sox starter Brian Johnson allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings. Brandon Workman (1-0) pitched a perfect seventh.
Nationals starter Tanner Roark (3-10) allowed a career-high nine runs in seven innings and is 1-8 with a 5.19 ERA in 12 appearances (11 starts) since May
5.
YANKEES 8, BRAVES 5
NEW YORK (AP) – Giancarlo Stanton
Andre Reed Jersey , Aaron Hicks and Kyle Higashioka each homered and New York went ahead early and hung on to beat Atlanta.
Aaron Judge had two hits and a walk, and he stole two bases for the first time in his career. Hicks also walked twice as New York drew eight free
passes.
The Yankees improved to a major league-best 21-6 against left-handed starters and remain a game behind Boston for the majors’ best record.
Nick Markakis and Ender Inciarte each hit two-run homers for Atlanta, which ended a four-game winning streak. Braves starter Sean Newcomb allowed five runs
in 2 2/3 innings in the shortest start of his career.
A.J. Cole (2-0) pitched 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief to earn the win.
DODGERS 8, PIRATES 3
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Clayton Kershaw earned his first win in 2 months, five Dodgers homered including Max Muncy with a pair, and Los Angeles beat
Pittsburgh.
Ivan Nova (4-6) became the first pitcher in Pirates history to give up five homers in a game. Pittsburgh has been outscored 25-4 in the first two games of
the series.
The Dodgers have 11 homers three days into July and 122 so far this season after slugging a major league-leading and franchise-record 55 in June.
Kershaw (2-4) allowed two runs and four hits in six innings of his third start since coming off the disabled list. The left-handed ace struck out two and
didn’t walk anyone to earn his first victory since April 15 at Arizona. He had
two losses and four straight no-decisions since then.
Kershaw had not gone as late as July 3 with just one win since his rookie year in 2008. That year he didn’t earn his second victory until Aug. 7.
MARINERS 4, ANGELS 1
SEATTLE (AP) – Wade LeBlanc allowed one run over seven innings and Seattle beat Los Angeles for its eighth straight victory.
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani was activated from the 10-day disabled list and went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in his return. He had been sidelined since June
8 with a Grade 2 ulnar collateral ligament sprain.
The Mariners announced they signed LeBlanc (4-0) to a contract extension before his start and the soft-tossing left-hander showed them they made a good
decision. LeBlanc allowed three hits, struck out four and retired his final 11
batters.
Andrew Heaney (4-6) tied a career high with 10 strikeouts, but was tagged with three runs in the first inning to fall behind and was handed the loss.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, CARDINALS 2
PHOENIX (AP) – Paul Goldschmidt hit a three-run homer, Zack Greinke pitched effectively into the seventh inning and Arizona ended a four-game losing streak
by beating St. Louis.
Goldschmidt followed a four-hit night Monday with a three-run homer off Jack Flaherty (3-4) in the fifth inning. The NL player of the month for June,
Goldschmidt is hitting .413 with 11 homers and 28 RBIs his past 26 games.
Greinke (9-5) gave up two runs in the second inning to end his 13-inning scoreless streak but was otherwise sharp in winning his fourth straight game.
Yoshihisa Hirano needed one pitch to get a groundout with the bases loaded in
the seventh and extend his team record with a 26th straight scoreless
appearance.
Brad Boxberger worked around a walk in the ninth for his 20th save in 24 chances.
INDIANS 6
Akiem Hicks Jersey , ROYALS 4
KANSAS CITY (AP) – Yan Gomes hit a sixth-inning grand slam as Cleveland rallied to beat Kansas City.
The Indians lead the AL with eight grand slams. Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam Monday.
Edwin Encarnacion led off the sixth with a walk and Brandon Guyer was hit by a pitch from Danny Duffy (4-8). Yonder Alonso’s infield single loaded the bases.
Gomes drove a 1-0 Duffy pitch into the left-field bullpen.
Chad Allen got the final four outs for his 17th save in 18 chances. He stranded two runners in the ninth after a single and a walk.
Shane Bieber (4-0) picked up the victory and remains undefeated in his first five big league starts.
PHILLIES 3, ORIOLES 2
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Zach Eflin pitched seven strong innings for his sixth straight victory and Andrew Knapp had the winning hit for the second straight
game.
Rhys Hoskins had a two-run double for the Phillies, who have won 11 of 16.
Mark Trumbo homered for Baltimore, which has dropped eight of nine.
The game was delayed at the start 1 hour, 25 minutes due to rain and mostly played under a persistent drizzle.
Eflin (7-2) allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and no walks to become the first Phillies pitcher since Cliff Lee in 2011 to record six
consecutive wins.
Orioles starter Alex Cobb (2-10) gave up three runs on four hits with five strikeouts and three walks in 6 2/3 innings.
CUBS 5, TIGERS 3
CHICAGO (AP) – Anthony Rizzo drove in his second run of the game in the seventh inning to snap a tie, Kyle Schwarber followed with a solo homer in the
eighth and Chicago rebounded from an early three-run deficit to edge Detroit
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