New Jersey Devils Three Games Away From Franchise History

Just as we all anticipated, the New Jersey Devils are running the NHL.

It was only a matter of time before New Jersey’s young core began to take steps forward, slowly returning the Devils to relevance. What has happened instead is a resurgence that has vaulted this team not merely into the playoff picture, but to the top of the standings.

Through 16 games, they are a bewildering 13-3, a mark that would be stunning for any team, much less one that has struggled mightily in recent years.

The only team ahead of New Jersey in the league standings entering play on Thursday is the Boston Bruins. The Vegas Golden Knights have as many points as the Devils (26) but have played one extra game.

The Devils are closing in on history.

It’s one thing to win 13 times in 16 games, but the Devils’ start has been even more impressive than it sounds. New Jersey is currently on a ten-game winning streak, which began on October 25 against the Detroit Red Wings.

During this streak, the Devils have picked up wins against some quality teams, such as the Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames (twice). They’ve defeated their opponents by a combined score of 43-17.

Now, New Jersey is eyeing franchise history, as this streak is the third-longest winning streak that the organization has ever seen. A win on Thursday against a hot Toronto Maple Leafs team would tie this Devils team with its 2005-2006 predecessor for the second-longest streak.

Additional wins against the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers would give this group 13 victories in a row, matching the 2000-2001 Devils for the longest such streak in the history of the franchise. A second win over the Leafs on November 23 would set a new record.

By no means will it be easy for this young squad to earn all of those wins, but at the same time, I didn’t expect them to have ten in a row as we speak.

We’ll see if the Devils can make history, but either way, they should be absolutely thrilled with the way that things have gone so far this season.