For just the third time in 13 seasons, the Devils are headed to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Devils clinched a playoff berth on Wednesday night thanks to the Flyers’ 8-5 win over the New York Rangers. They have their first round matchup set as well.

They’ll face the Carolina Hurricanes when the playoffs begin on April 19. The Hurricanes need two more points to secure home-ice advantage in the series. The two split the regular season matchups two games a piece, and their last game was on Dec. 28.

The Devils, 41-30-7 (89 points), have four games remaining this season to prepare for playoff hockey. Here’s what they need to do if they want to win their fourth Stanley Cup.

Defense wins championships

The Devils have one of the league’s best defenses although they just suffered an embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Boston Bruins at home on Tuesday. Their worst loss of the season is an outlier for how they’ve played.

The Devils’ 206 goals against (2.64 per game) ranks sixth in the NHL. They have ranked near the top five in defense for most of the season despite injuries to top defender Jonas Siegenthaler and star Dougie Hamilton.

Johnathan Kovacevic has been one of the league’s top defenders, and Brenden Dillon and Brett Pesce have brought stability and consistency to the unit.

The forwards do their part, too. Captain Nico Hischier is third in Selke Trophy odds. Winger Jesper Bratt may be the only player in the NHL with 90 points and 90 hits. Paul Cotter’s 237 hits rank 10th in the league.

The Devils’ offense has been less than consistent throughout the season, and without star Jack Hughes, they’ll need to rely on their defense more than usual.

Don’t be afraid to switch goalies

The Devils’ goalie tandem of Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen is perhaps their best since Martin Brodeur and Cory Schneider.

Markstrom and Allen have a combined 54 playoff games. Both are 35 years old and having their best seasons in years.

Still, coach Sheldon Keefe shouldn’t stick to one goalie. Markstrom, their No. 1, hasn’t been the same since coming back from a sprained MCL in his left knee that caused him to miss six weeks earlier this season. He just had his worst game of the season on Tuesday when he allowed seven goals.

If Markstrom has a poor run of games, and the Devils find themselves down in a series, Keefe shouldn’t be afraid to turn to Allen. Either goalie can win the Devils a series if they are at their best.

Ultimate underdogs

The Devils may enter the playoffs with the fewest points among the 16 teams in the field. They’ll be heavy underdogs, especially without Hughes. Still, recent history shows it’s possible for them to make a run.

The Panthers reached the Finals in 2023 as the last wild-card team. They beat the record-breaking Bruins team in the first round to get there. The Lightning made it to the Finals as the third-place team in their division — the same spot as the Devils now. The Canadiens made a run to the Cup Finals in 2021 with a losing record in the regular season.

There’s always a chance.

FanDuel has the Devils at +4000 to win the Stanley Cup Finals. Our complete FanDuel Sportsbook review will show you how to sign up and use the app.

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Gabriel Trevino can be reached at GTrevino@njadvancemedia.com or on X @GabeCTrevino

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