Generally, the mark of a good, competitive team is that they are always in every game. Rarely are they blown out and out of a game after 40 minutes. If you compare the New Jersey Devils of this past season, when they made the playoffs, versus the year prior when they were considerably worse, you can see that wisdom in action. Thanks to Natural Stat Trick, here are the time on ice numbers for the Devils from 2016-17 and 2017-18. The “Within 1” numbers encompass being tied, up 1, and down 1. All minutes showcased are at 5 on 5 action.
Devils Played Much Closer Games This Year
