Devils hope this is finally year they will have post-Lou Lamoriello success
Devils franchise history can be split into three distinct periods: Before Lou, During Lou, After Lou.The first and last have combined to yield one playoff series victory.This season is their chance to change that.After a season from hell last year marked a setback in what had looked like a straightforward climb up, the Devils are out of excuses.Their goaltending, 30th in the league last season, is no longer a glaring issue after a blockbuster deal for Jacob Markstrom.Their defense, too often taken advantage of after Ryan Graves was allowed to walk in free agency, has been overhauled, with Brenden Dillon, Brett Pesce and Johnathan Kovacevic added over the summer.Their health, a consistent problem last season with superstar Jack Hughes and top defenseman Dougie Hamilton both dealing with major injuries, is (mostly) intact.Their coaching staff, which shouldered the blame last season when Lindy Ruff was fired, was overhauled with the hire of Sheldon Keefe, who brings with him a .665 regular-season points percentage from five seasons coaching the Maple Leafs.“We were brutal,” Hughes told reporters on the first day of camp.
“But we’re into the new year now.”That comes with expectations.“I’m focused on building a team here that has a style of play and a structure in place that is sustainable over time and can withstand and be resilient, even in the face of adversity,” Keefe told The Post in a phone interview before the Devils jetted to Prague for a season-opening pair of games against the Sabres, the first of which is Friday.“That’s really what any good team does.
Every team goes through adversity, but the great teams manage it, and they find their way through it.That’s where we’re focused on building, and perhaps, if there’s one thing from last season that didn’t happen, it would be that.”On paper, the Devils have a team that should challenge the Rangers for Metropolitan Division supremacy and be a force come the playoffs.
Even injuries to...