This season has been anything but easy for the New Jersey Devils, yet they have thus far managed to maintain a tenuous hold on an Eastern Conference playoff berth. Entering last night’s games, the once-dynastic Devils found themselves tied for the sixth seed with the Tampa Bay Lightning (both with 76 points), and were actually closer to ninth-place Atlanta (70 points) than to fifth-place Philadelphia (84 points).

One important reason why the Devils are still in the playoff hunt despite the loss of both Scott Stevens and Scott Niedermayer is their ability to stay out of the penalty box. Through the season’s first 67 games, the Devils have been the NHL’s most disciplined team, going shorthanded just 290 times. In fact, only nine other clubs have been shorthanded fewer than 400 times.

Nevertheless, the wheels fell off the wagon on Sunday night, when the Devils played the role of all-too-gracious hosts for the Eastern Conference-leading Ottawa Senators. Shorthanded nine times to the Senators’ four, the Devils lost 4-0 and proved that if they don’t stay out of the penalty box, they cannot compete with the league’s best teams. If Sunday was a turning point – and not just an aberration – they will be in serious trouble down the stretch.

One reason why the Devils rely so heavily on their discipline is because they suffer from a severe shortage of scoring depth. Brian Gionta (36 goals) and Scott Gomez (24 goals) are the only Devils with more than 20 goals this season, and of the remaining players, only Jamie Langenbrunner (15 goals) is likely to join them.

The scoring imbalance has made it too easy for opposing coaches to neutralize the Devils’ top line of Gionta, Gomez, and Patrik Elias, and things will only get harder come playoff time, when line matchups become an even more prevalent part of everyday coaching strategies.

On the heels of that ugly loss to Ottawa, Lou Lamoriello’s club heads off to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Flyers tonight at the Wachovia Center. Needless to say, this game should provide a useful measure of both the Devils’ psyche and their ability to rebound in the face of adversity.

The Devils have split their four games with the Flyers this season, largely thanks to the stellar play of goaltender Martin Brodeur, whose numbers against Philadelphia have been impressive (1.97 GAA, .930 SV%). After tonight, the Devils will still have three more games remaining against Philadelphia, the results of which will go a long way towards determining the Devils’ playoff fate.

One could argue that the Devils have done quite well considering the losses of Stevens and Niedermayer, but the truth is that their competitors have faced substantial adversity as well this year, and the Devils’ lot would be far worse but for their rivals’ bad breaks.

The Flyers have quite possibly been the league’s unluckiest team; three players are currently out with head injuries (Keith Primeau, Kim Johnsson, and Chris Therien), and their most important player, Peter Forsberg, is likely out for tonight’s game as well with a sprained MCL. Of the Flyers’ regulars, only Mike Knuble has suited up for all 68 games, and five key players (Forsberg, Johnsson, Primeau, Joni Pitkanen, and Eric Desjardins) have missed a combined 153 games.

Meanwhile, the Devils have five players who have dressed for all 67 of their games and 13 regulars who have missed 10 games or fewer. Of their critical starters, only Elias was out for any extended time, and his absence (while he recovered from a severe bout of Hepatitis A) was fully expected.

Nowhere have the Devils been more fortunate than in goal. Martin Brodeur has battled knee problems this year, but he’s still managed to suit up for 59 games. Brodeur has played in at least 70 games eight times in his career, and for the last seven seasons consecutively. Barring injury, he is a lock to do so again this year, and his presence provides a stability that no NHL team can match.

In sharp contrast, Eastern Conference rival Tampa Bay has had to do without netminder Nikolai Khabibulin, who left via free agency during the off-season after backstopped the Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004. In his place, the tandem of John Grahame and Sean Burke (now out with a broken finger) has proven inadequate.

Elsewhere in the East, the Montreal Canadiens were expecting to rely on star goaltender Jose Theodore, but he was unceremoniously dumped in a trade deadline deal following a season filled with injuries, poor play, and office controversy.

Most egregious of all is the plight of the Thrashers, who would definitely be ahead of the Devils right now but for a shocking run of bad luck. Five different goalies have suited up for Atlanta this season, and only one of them – rookie starter Kari Lehtonen – has proven to be capable.

So here the Devils are, battling for their playoff lives. And though it’s easy to give excuses for their struggles, the truth is that they’re fortunate to find themselves in playoff position with only 15 games remaining. Leaning more heavily on Brodeur than ever before, however, it seems unlikely that they’ll manage to escape the first round, if they reach the playoffs at all.

Mr. Greenstein is the editor in chief of InsideHockey.com.