After winning three in a row, the New Jersey Devils lost again, this time dropping a heartbreaking 2-1 decision to the Metropolitan Division rival Washington Capitals. But that's okay.
At this point, the Devils are assuredly missing the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs, and that is mostly due to them forgetting how to play hockey for the entire winter. Overall, though, after the loss to the Capitals, the Devils have still won seven of their last 10 games. They've scored five or more goals in four of those seven wins.
The focus, as rotten as this season has been, needs to be on carrying this momentum into the 2026-27 season.