from Chris Ryan of NJ.com,

As the NHL enters the All-Star break, the Devils have just 43 points and sit at 30th out of 31 teams in the standings. Yes, they have multiple games in hands on three teams just two points ahead of them, but the Devils' position is a far cry from their 2017-18 playoff team.

So what's been the difference?

The Devils don't have a drastically different roster from last season, and they've posted some similar underlying numbers, especially on the offensive end.

Here's a look at some of the areas that have caused the biggest difference in results.

Goaltending
Outside of Keith Kinkaid’s strong start and Mackenzie Blackwood’s midseason emergence, the Devils’ goaltending has been an issue all season long.

When they made their postseason run in 2017-18, they finished with a .908 save percentage as a team, good for 18th in the NHL. That was also boosted by Kinkaid's strong run in March to close the season, where he won 10 of his final 11 starts.

This season, the Devils have a collective .892 save percentage - just 28th best in the league.

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