...to the mean, that is.

Editor's Note: This is a good, short analysis and has a proper perspective. The comments have been interesting too, so check them out.

TG posted two quotations, from Lou and MacLean that piqued my interest.

First, from Lou yesterday (emphasis mine):

"Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello is understandably disappointed in his team’s 1-4-1 start, but believes things would look a lot better if it had capitalized on more of its chances in the first six games.

"If we would have taken advantage of a couple of opportunities we’ve had at different times, our record would be the other way," he said today.

"...if we weren’t getting chances and we weren’t getting opportunities, that’s a different story. We’re getting them and the right people are getting them, so they have to go in."

And from Johnny Mac this afternoon (again, emphasis mine):

"As far as scoring chances, we are getting some quality chances," MacLean said after today’s practice. "We are definitely getting quality chances and I’m confident with this group if we keep getting those chances, the puck is going to go in."

What struck me about these quotes - besides how well the new head coach stays on-message - is the implication that a significant part of the Devils' recent apocalypse struggles is due essentially to luck - the bad kind, clearly, but luck nonetheless. The games against Buffalo, Colorado, and Boston saw the Devils outshoot their opponents 110-81, but they were outscored 4-7. Extending out to all 6 games, the Devils have outshot their opponents 204-169, but have been outscored 10-21. So what if a few more of those shots went in? Should we really expect them to? My thoughts after the jump.

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I think we've all been rightfully nervous of late given what seems to be distressingly bad play on the part of our beloved Devils since we turned the calendar to 2010, and not without cause - the Devils are a combined 8-9-1 in the 18 games they've played in 2010 and have lost 7 of their last 10 (with one loss coming in a shootout to the Sabres). As the losses have begun to mount, the comments here on ILWT have gotten considerably more dire. I have to say watching the way the last handful of games have gone down has certainly put me in a dire mood, and reminding myself that ALL teams will slump from time to time hasn't been much consolation, so I thought I'd take a look at the Devils' three Stanley Cup teams and see if their worst 18-game stretch could compare. 

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The chatter around the web about the Devils the last couple days has focused on the team's record-setting first half. The Devils currently stand at 30-10-1 for 61 points, putting them first in the Eastern Conference and third in the NHL (though just two points back and with games in hand against both the Blackhawks and Sharks). Given a bit of a lull in the schedule (two whole days off!), I thought I'd take a look at the strength of the Devils' competition in the first half of the season as it compares to the upcoming second half and what effect it might have on their chances of staying on pace to complete just the third 60-win season in NHL history (and the first since the Red Wings set the current win record of 62 in 1995-1996).

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