Devils Fail to Clinch, Lose to Boston | GAME STORY

NEWARK, NJ - The Devils entered the night needing just one point in any fashion to clinch a postseason berth.

The team will have to wait a little longer to punch its ticket to the Stanley Cup playoffs following a 7-2 loss to Boston at Prudential Center on Tuesday night.

"We just weren’t very good. Execution level, physicality," forward Stefan Noesen said. "Sometimes you have games that don’t go the way you want it to off the hop and you have to find a way to battle back."

Boston built a 3-0 lead early in the second period. New Jersey showed some life with two goals 19-seconds apart by Stefan Noesen and Timo Meier.

But the Bruins would score the next four for a route. David Pastrnak, Michael Callahan, Jakub Lauko, Casey Mittelstadt, Morgan Geekie, Fraser Minten and Cole Koepke scored for Boston.

“Not much urgency for whatever reason to a man, top to bottom. I don’t think one guy can say they had it tonight,” defenseman Brett Pesce said. “It sucks. We had an opportunity to clinch. We didn’t get it done and embarrass ourselves out there. At this point you wash it and move on.”

The Devils may still clinch before their next game if the New York Islanders (Tuesday at Nashville) and New York Rangers (Monday vs. Philadelphia) both lose out on one point.

"I'm not going to watch it, I'm not going to talk about it after I leave this (interview) room," head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "We're going to get ready for the next one."

The takeaway message for the Devils is that they aren’t a good enough team to win on talent alone.

“It’s another reminder that when we don’t lead with our competitiveness, our pace of play, our structure, we’re just not very good,” Keefe said. “That’s another reminder of that.”

Here are some observations from the game:

• The Devils gave up a goal in the final minute of the first and second period. They tried to escape the first period down 1-0 but a goal with 35 seconds left made it 2-0 heading into the first intermission. New Jersey erased a 3-0 deficit and crawled to 3-2. They hoped that would hold up at the end of the second period, but Casey Mittelstadt tallied on a deflected shot with 52 seconds left. So, instead it was 4-2 Boston heading into the second intermission. Both late goals were momentum killers.

• After posting two goals against the New York Rangers Saturday, he added another for his third in the past two games. This time, he was in the right place at the right time. Literally.

Erik Haula’s shot went off the thigh of Meier and popped up and over the shoulder of goaltender Jeremy Swayman. Meier will take them any way he can get them. And he gets rewarded for going to the net.

• You’d be hard-pressed to find a Devil that works harder on the ice and pours more into the game than Noesen. He’s already set a career high in goals and reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career. He added another for his 21^st goal of the season with a backdoor tap in while in the blue paint on a nice pass play from Daniel Sprong.

• Daniel Sprong has been a factor on a few Devils’ goals since his acquisition at the NHL’s trading deadline. However, he had not recorded a point for his new squad. Until tonight. Sprong sparked the Devils with a beautiful backhand, behind-the-back drop pass in the crease set up on New Jersey’s opening tally of the game in the second period.

Sprong had a great game overall, generating a lot of zone time, shots and offensive pressure. And he’s played well overall for the Devils. That point was much deserved and well earned.

• Pastrnak opened the scoring with his 41^st goal of the season. Which is impressive. What’s more impressive is that he recorded a point on 12-straight goals by Boston (6g-6a), dating back to April 1. The only other players in NHL history to factor in on 12-straight goals for their respective teams Mario Lemieux (twice), Jaromir Jagr and Wayne Gretzky. Some pretty special company.

• Congratulations is in order to Bruins rookie defenseman Michael Callahan who picked up his first career NHL point and goal with just 35 seconds left in the first period.