Hope, Three-Point Games, and a Lot of Division Matchups: A Primer for the Devils’ Second Half

The Devils wrapped up the first half of their season prior to the bye week, and while they hit the halfway point in a bit of a (ref-aided) skid, they still had a very good first half of the season and far exceeded any expectations one might have had coming into the season. As they headed into the bye week, they sat second in the division behind only the red-hot Capitals, putting up 52 points in 41 games, good for a 104-point pace. The season has had some ups and downs and the first half wasn’t without its hiccups, including some blown leads, a 4-game and a 5-game losing streak, and a number of injuries that hamstrung the roster at times.

In spite of all of that, it would be hard to ask much…