With a 5-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night, the New Jersey Devils became the 61st team in NHL history to win at least 10 straight games in a single season. Naturally, the question is starting the get asked: with eight wins between them and the all-time record, can the Devils keep up this torrid pace?
The 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins currently hold the record for the most consecutive games won in a regular season with 17. That team was coming off its second straight Stanley Cup and included the likes of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Ron Francis. In the years since the Penguins went on that tear, only a couple of teams have come close to touching that record.
The 2012-13 Penguins hit 15 wins before taking a lossThe 2016-17 Columbus Blue Jackets got all the way to 16 consecutive wins before having its streak snapped.Can this Devils squad do what those teams could not? To answer that question, let's look at what New Jersey has done so far throughout the life of this streak before we peek ahead to what is coming down the road.
The Devils began this lengthy winning streak on Oct. 25 with a win over the Detroit Red Wings, and they have been the most dominant team in the NHL since. New Jersey has beaten nine different teams with a combined record of 59-55-14. Throughout the life of their current winning streak, the Devils have controlled 58.05% of the expected goals at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.
That mark ranks second behind the Los Angeles Kings.
Of course, they don't blare horns and play songs for expected goals. When it comes to the actual goals that have been scored at five-on-five, the Devils have been even better. Since the start of their winning streak, New Jersey has scored 29 goals at five-on-five, which puts them at the top of the league in that category. At the other end, the Devils have given up just 11 five-on-five goals. That is tied for first with the Boston Bruins.
When looking at individual players, one key to the success of this Devils team has been the development of their young stars.
Jack Hughes has six goals and 15 points in his last 10 games.Jesper Bratt is tied for 10th in the NHL in points with 21.Nico Hischier has been a big-time play driver for the Devils, and he looks more like a No. 1 overall pick.After a down year in 2021-22, Dougie Hamilton (who is a few years older than the names above) is back to looking like a true No. 1 defenseman.Getting those skaters to play up to their potential has been critical for the Devils, but make no mistake about it, the biggest factor in this winning streak is that they are finally getting reliable goaltending. Last season, the Devils had a team save percentage of 88.1%, which was 31st in the NHL. In this 10-game winning streak, the New Jersey goaltenders have combined for a save percentage of 92.8%, which is sixth in the league. The Devils have dealt with injuries in net, but if that overall performance can continue over the next few weeks, they can absolutely set a new record for consecutive games won.
The Devils' next eight games come against seven different teams. They have two games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and one game against the Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers, Buffalo Sabres, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers and Nashville Predators. Those teams have a combined record of 52-53-10, which comes out to a worse winning percentage than that of the teams the Devils have already beaten.
Those two games against the Maple Leafs will be tough, and Connor McDavid has the ability to win a game on his own, but New Jersey will be favored in a majority of its next eight contests. Still, knowing the NHL, it may be a team like the Sabres or Senators that ends the Devils' dominant run.
Between a talented roster playing elite hockey and a somewhat favorable schedule, the Devils have what it takes to surpass the 1992-93 Penguins and make history. Even if they don't, they have proven that they have put the rest of the NHL on notice.
