I, for one, was truly impressed by the new Devils' play this evening. I know we lost to Toronto (which at least made Don Cherry glad) and that's nothing for us to be happy about. BUT, the team played like a cohesive Devils team. Think about all they've been through over the past month: having to fill Hale's position, then losing Gionta, Madden & Elias (and perhaps even Rasmussen) to injury and having to fill their positions. These young players are having to come in and fill the injured stars' skates at a time in the season when all their opponents are playing desperation hockey. The Devils need to play with some passion, but they can't fall into desperation, and I for one am glad they didn't get desperate during this game. In the end, the post-season is a brand new season. Of course their post-season rank matters to an extent, but it's much more important that the team entering the post-season believes in itself. No matter if that team is ranked first or eighth.
Digression: Coaching staff, the Zajac line IS the top line. They were neck-and-neck with the Gomez line when Gionta was still healthy, and they definitely are the top line now that Elias is out too. You don't break up your top line. The Devils have enough change to contend with. Keep your one consistent line together, and they'll continue to score.