Last year was a tough one for the New Jersey Devils. They went 27-46-9, barely avoiding last place in the Metropolitan Division. It was another season to forget for the Devils — their fourth in a row with a losing record.
This season has been different for New Jersey, however. Not only has it been one to remember so far, but it's also been historic.
New Jersey Devils Winning Streak
The Devils suddenly find themselves in first place by a comfortable margin after ripping off an epic 13 -game winning streak — the longest ever by an NHL team that finished the previous season with a points percentage below .400.
New Jersey's winning streak has been the highlight of an impressive turnaround campaign. The team is already more than halfway to last year's win total thanks to a rejuvenated offense. After ranking 19th in scoring in goals scored and 29th in goals allowed last year, the Devils now rank second and fourth in those categories this ye ar, respectively.
Their excellent play on both ends of the ice have produced a dominant run. Since dropping the first two games of the season, New Jersey has won 16 of its last 17 contests. The Devils have routinely been destroying their opponents as well, outscoring them 69-34 over that stretch — a margin of greater than 2-to-1.
There's still a long way to go, of course, so it remains to be seen if New Jersey can keep up the pace. Even though the Devils have the second-best record in the NHL behind only the Boston Bruins, the sportsbooks aren't totally buying their success. FanDuel Sportsbook's NHL odds give New Jersey the ninth-best odds (+1700) of winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in 20 years.