The Devils had little margin for error this season, and inconsistent play was more than enough to fuel the team's struggles, one NHL scout told NJ Advance Media.
The scout, who asked his name and organization remain anonymous, said the struggles of some players compounded to a dreadful stretch in November and December, which included a seven-game losing streak.
"Cory Schneider came off his game a little bit, and a number of players," the scout said. "You look to your main guys, and I think Adam Henrique struggled to maintain what he did last year. Kyle Palmieri had a wonderful breakout year last year, he struggled."
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Henrique and Palmieri have regained their form as the season progressed, with Henrique leading the team with 15 goals, and Palmieri trailing him with 14. Meanwhile, Schneider lowered his GAA to 2.66 and raised his save percentage to .912 -- still both career worsts.
While the Devils' record in the NHL might not entirely indicate it, the scout did say the organization did take a step forward with how general manager Ray Shero added pieces through the NHL Draft and in other ways -- something the Devils need for the long term.
"They have more depth, they have a deeper lineup, they have some guys in Albany that are going to have a chance to play," the scout said. "They got off to a wonderful start to the season, but they for some reason they had a little bit of lag in their play."
The Devils did enter the bye week on a strong run, winning three of four games out of the All-Star break while collecting seven points. They moved within three points of a playoff spot, but a run to the final Wild Card position would still be difficult.
The scout said the Devils need to maintain that level of play just to have a chance.
"They're going to have to go on a run. It's not bad if you have to overcome six, seven points when you're the next in line," he said. "But when you've got to over come four teams, five teams, you've got to have a better record over the final 30 games than all those teams."
Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.
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