Devils' Playoff Hopes Dim as Allen Shines

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The New Jersey Devils entered their game against the Washington Capitals with just a 1-2

hundred shot at the Stanley Cup playoffs.

They needed to win all 13 remaining games and get lucky breaks elsewhere.

Instead, they lost 2-1 in regulation, dropping their odds to about 1 in 625.

Jake Allen stole the show in net for New Jersey.

He faced heavy pressure early, stopping 26 of 27 shots for a 0.963 save percentage.

That performance added plus 1.99 goals, saved above expected, boosting his season mark to

0.908, well above the league.

Average of 0.896.

This was only Allen's third start in the last 42 days, after time off around the Olympic

break and starts for Jacob Markstrom.

He shook off any rust, and proved why he's one of the top backup goalies.

The Devils offense struggled at first, generating far fewer chances than their strong post- the

Olympic form, where they led the league and expected goals.

They exploded in the third period, with 17 scoring chances, but couldn't overcome the

deficit, or Logan Thompson's strong play in the capitals.

Net.

New Jersey sits at 35 wins, 32 losses, and 2 overtime losses.

They hit the Dallas on Tuesday night, for their next chance to build momentum.