The New Jersey Devils have struggled to find any momentum all season, but Monday night's thrilling 6-5 overtime win over the reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights may have finally delivered some.
After knocking off the New York Rangers in the first round of last year's Stanley Cup playoffs before bowing out against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Devils entered this season with sky-high expectations.
Those expectations came along due to the development of a star-studded young core that featured centers Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, wingers Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier, and defensemen Luke Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, John Marino, and Simon Nemec.
The Devils were a trendy pick to win the division over the Rangers and Hurricanes, and many threw them out as possible Stanley Cup contenders.
That has not materialized so far this season, as injuries, poor goaltending, and questionable defense have kept the Devils out of a secure playoff spot for most of the season.
Devils Beat the Golden Knights in a Possible Turning Point
Last night, though, was the kind of win that could turn an entire season around.
Hughes, New Jersey's best player, has been sidelined with an injury since January 5, and the already-struggling Devils have been fighting hard to stay afloat in his absence.
Since that night, the Devils have gone 2-4-1, and a date with the reigning Cup champion Golden Knights looked like a likely moment to dip even further in the standings.
Instead, the Devils started out hot, with two goals at the end of the first period to take a 2-1 lead. Tyler Toffoli scored quickly in the second to make it 3-1, but things fell apart from there.
Vegas scored four straight goals to go ahead 5-3, but Toffoli struck again in the final seconds of the second period to make it 5-4.
Down 5-4 against a strong defensive team after blowing a multi-goal lead could have been a moment where the team packed it in to try again next time.
Instead, Lazar tied the game midway through the third, the Devils kept the Knights off the board.
Toffoli scored a huge goal halfway through the overtime to earn the pivotal extra point in the standings and send the home crowd into a frenzy.
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Can the Devils Keep This Momentum Going?
While this win was crucial, the Devils are still only in a virtual tie for the final playoff spot in the East with a tough schedule ahead and the uncertainty around Hughes' health looming.
The Devils are about to hit the road to take on a Carolina team that dominated them in the playoffs last season and is well ahead of them in the standings, and a Tampa Bay team that they are in that virtual tie for the second wild card spot with.
Then the team hits the all-star break, and is greeted by the Colorado Avalanche, a winnable game at home against Calgary, and another road game in Raleigh against the Hurricanes.
Of that five-game stretch, the Devils will likely only be favored in one, and Hughes is not likely to play in any of those games.
However, this team is somewhat of a sleeping giant in the league this season. The talent is strong even with Hughes sidelined, and a win like this could spark some key momentum heading into this tough stretch.
The East is weak this season, and higher-seeded teams could be licking their lips for a shot at a team like Detroit or the New York Islanders in that last playoff spot.
The Devils, however, are a team that nobody would want to see in the postseason, and the first-place Rangers would be the first team to meet them in the playoffs.
Look out for New Jersey to be a tough draw if they can build up the momentum they need to right the ship and perform as their talent level suggests they should.
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