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How the New Jersey Devils Became the Hottest Team in the NHL

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Hartnett | Last updated Oct 25, 2025 12:16 PM ET

The New Jersey Devils are as hot as Hades.

On Friday, the Devils pulled off a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks at Prudential Center to extend their winning streak to seven games.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe admitted that the Devils weren’t at their best after Friday’s win. Great teams have a habit of finding ways to win, especially when they’re not at the top of their game.

Captain Nico Hischier took an early tripping penalty at 1:11 into the contest. Keefe was impressed by the way his team battled back after surrendering a William Eklund power-play goal at 2:25 of the first period.

“You’ve got to find a way,” Keefe told reporters following the game. “Like I said, our penalty kill gives one up early. We take a penalty early, which is not great. Our power play with their opportunities they had, got a hold of the game for us at the start of the second period, and we never really looked back from there.”

Hischier would chip in assists on all three goals. Dougie Hamilton scored twice on the power play. The Devils have now recorded a power-play goal in six straight games.

Hamilton would later assist Connor Brown’s third period empty-net goal to finish off a three-point night of his own. The 6-foot-6 defenseman was named the No. 1 star of the game.

Devils Setting the Pace at the Top of the NHL

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) controls the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning.Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Devils own the best record in the NHL at 7-1-0, and no one has more than Jersey’s 14 points. Their only loss came on opening night against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Through eight games, New Jersey ranks third overall with 3.88 goals per game and fourth-best with 2.38 goals against per game.

Star center Jack Hughes is tied for sixth in the NHL with six goals, and Jesper Bratt has collected 11 points (four goals, seven assists) through eight games played.

Having now won seven straight, the Devils have assembled the longest winning streak since the franchise won 13 consecutive games between Oct. 25 and Nov. 21, 2022.

Over the last seven games, the Devils have scored 28 goals while only allowing 13. Their power play percentage has ticked up to 34.8 percent, and their penalty kill is rock solid at 96 percent.

Next up for the Devils is a challenging matchup against Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday afternoon. The 5-0-3 Avs haven’t lost a game in regulation.

Injuries to No. 1 goaltender Jacob Markstrom, 20-goal getter Evgenii Dadonov, skillful defenseman Seamus Casey, playmaking center Cody Glass and 19-minute per night defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic haven’t slowed the Devils down.

The Devils have taken a licking and kept on ticking. Not just that, they’re the hottest team in the entire NHL.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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