The Devils’ last chance has arrived, their final opportunity to convince Lou Lamoriello to let their Preposterous Dream live.
If, as expected, Jason Arnott asks Lamoriello to deal him to a contender by tomorrow’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, the general manager will have to decide whether to pull the plug on the Devils’ already-forlorn hopes for a 14th straight season in the playoffs.
Should they lose in Florida this afternoon after falling in Tampa Friday, Arnott is almost certain to ask out. But should they win for the 17th time in 21 games today, Lamoriello might not only refuse to trade Arnott, but go the other way and pick up another defenseman to help further the dream.
If Lamoriello does extinguish the flame and sell off his parts, he will seal the damning verdict that he failed to pull the plug soon enough on John MacLean, and end an era with a whimper instead of trying to prolong it with a defiant roar. It would seem wildly out of character for this pit bull of a general manager.
This franchise certainly needs a reloading of the youth that high finishes and past playoff bolsterings have cost it.
Yet the string of 13 straight playoffs demands every last chance at staying alive, particularly when the team is making such a remarkable and determined push for it. A comeback like this is what sport is all about. Otherwise, it’s APBA Baseball, Strat-o-matic, or NHL11.
The Devils remain 11 points behind the eighth-place Hurricanes, who lost 4-3 to the Canadiens last night. The Devils have one game in hand on Carolina.
“We’re going day by day, just watching what happens around the league, both in games and transfers,” Lamoriello said. “We’re doing what we’re asking our players to do, worrying about our next game.”
Lamoriello should be regretting his trade of Jamie Langenbrunner on Jan. 7, when he appeared to pull the plug on the season just two days before his team put the plug back in. He should be resisting any offers for Arnott or anyone else unless he gets more immediate help.
“It’s a day-to-day process with a lot of opens ends and a lot of open decisions,” Lamoriello said. “All the thoughts I have are going to stay right on top of my neck.”
Those thoughts should distill down to being a buyer, not a seller, intoning and adjusting Fred Shero: Win today and you may skate together the rest of the season.
The Devils’ spirited 2-1 loss in Tampa Friday was their first in regulation since Jan. 26 in Detroit, nearly a full month. They stand 16-2-2 in their last 20 and must go 16-5 (or variations) in their final 21 to reach 88 points, the fewest ever to make the playoffs in the shootout era.
Ilya Kovalchuk owns a 12-game point streak, the longest of his career.