Devils @ Caps, 7 ET

There are people in this world who believe that the 38th game of the NHL regular season is no more or less important than the 1st, 37th, or 82nd.

I am not one of those people.

There are people in this world who believe that a game against a doormat counts just as much as a game against a powerhouse.

I am not one of those people.

There are people in this world who disregard regular season encounters when dissecting postseason matchups.

I am not one of those people.

Fittingly, then, I consider tonight's Caps-Devils tilt at the Verizon Center the biggest game of the season, and one that should provide us with plenty of insight into the legitimacy of the home team's Stanley Cup dreams.

[Image via Alex Ovetjkin]

Some questions to consider tonight:

• Can the Caps shut down a hot team - or, more specifically, the hottest team in the NHL?
• Will the boys in red have some extra motivation after blowing leads in all three games against the Devils this year, including two 2-0 advantages?
• Can Michal Neurvirth continue his strong play in goal?
• Can Martin Brodeur please discontinue his strong play in goal?
• Will the Devils' trapping brand of hockey ruin the NHL?

Okay, so maybe those last two are just vented frustrations from past experiences against New Jersey, but still.

We're not even at the halfway point, but playoff positioning is already at stake. The Devils are 1 point ahead in the Eastern Conference with 2 games in hand.

We lose this game, that discrepancy grows. We lose this game, it's clear that the Devils are in our heads. We lose this game, and it's pretty conclusive that we don't want to see Marty B and co. in May.

So I think I speak on behalf of all of Caps Nation with three simple words:

Get it done.