After nearly falling out of a playoff spot a few games ago before momentarily straightening out the ship with three wins in four games, the Devils’ backs are now firmly up against a wall after their 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Rangers last night.  Or more accurately, a game gifted away with mistakes galore and the usual lack of finish.  I had an inkling we were in for it last night when even Arlette came up with a hoarse voice and had to ask the crowd for help singing the anthem.  You know things are bad when the anthem singer’s day-to-day.

In the past, I’ve often made light of Devils slumps by using the ’80’s movie WarGames.  If you’re not familiar with the movie, Matthew Broderick plays a high-school computer hacker who accidentally creates havoc at NORAD, causing the US military to believe that the Russians are launching a nuclear attack and ramp up the defense readiness of the military.  DEFCON is the term that describes the defense readiness – with DEFCON 5 being peace in the nation, and DEFCON 1 being Armageddon, or World War 3.

Well, this is the moment…it is now DEFCON 1 in Devil land.  Yes, there are still 18 games left, but time is running out fast now that the Devils have slipped to ninth place on percentage points.  Yes, the cavalry with Martin Brodeur, Andrei Loktionov, Danius Zubrus and Henrik Tallinder are all returning soon (though now Alexei Ponikarovsky is the latest Devil to be shelved with an unknown injury) – with Brodeur and Loktionov both returning in Carolina on Thursday.  Will the cavalry fully arrive after the war has been lost though?

Bear in mind Brodeur’s been out nearly a month, expecting him to be razor sharp off the hop is unrealistic, although he did begin this lockout-shortened season that way after a much longer layoff.  Still, he wasn’t coming back from a pinched nerve that was causing numbness in his hand this offseason.  At least the puck-handling misadventures of the Moose can finally end.  While I understand Johan Hedberg trying to play the puck more than he should to make sure the rest of the team could play its normal system, the fact was that Hedberg turning simple plays into disasters by overplaying the puck cost the team at least two-three games during his thirteen starts.  Yes, he made big saves last night but his snafu in the first period could be one that ultimately keeps this team out of the playoffs.

Our forward depth, already reeling from the loss of a combined 50+ goals from Zach Parise and Petr Sykora this offseason, has felt the further pinch of losing Zubrus long-term and Loktionov short-term.  Yes, guys like Travis Zajac and David Clarkson need to score a bit more, but really with the lack of forward depth you can certainly key on the few good ones left.  Clarkson was another example of this steam’s stupidity last night regardless.  After being told by coach Pete DeBoer he needs to shoot more, Clarkson took it to the nth degree, becoming a black hole and putting every single low-percentage shot on Henrik Lundqvist possible, while passing up open teammates.  As a team, the Devils frequently shot when they should have passed and vice-versa.  Though the shot total told one story, it wouldn’t shock me if the Rangers had more quality chances last night.  Felt like they did anyway, especially during the third period where the Devils could barely complete two straight passes, or gain the zone until getting some late empty-net pressure in the final seconds.

Although looking at the schedule can be an utter waste of time – especially given how many bad-bubble teams the Devils have lost to over these last eighteen games in a 5-10-3 meltdown (after an 8-1-2 start), fact is the Devils need to make hay in the next few games.  In their next six, the Devils are going up against other bubble teams such as Carolina, Ottawa and the Islanders as well as playing a non-playoff team in Tampa and two games against the ghost of a Panther team who’s been destroyed by injuries this year after barely losing a classic series to us last year.  Anything less than four wins could spell doom and even that might not be enough.

Down the stretch, the Devils get the iron put to them with home/road games against Boston and Toronto, as well as other games at Buffalo and home against Ottawa before a final, potentially decisive six-game finish starting April 18 at Philly, home against the Panthers, at the Garden, home against Montreal and Pittsburgh and at the Garden again.  A playoff berth that once looked like a fait accompli is now in real peril, and we could be in danger of wasting one of the last years of Brodeur’s career without even playing a May game.  Next year things won’t get easier for any of the Atlantic teams with the additions of Carolina, Washington and a suddenly improving Columbus team and only a max of five playoff spots to come out of that division.

For at least 2/3 of the league including the Devils, the playoffs are already underway.