With the New Jersey Devils going 5-2-1 in the first eight games of this 82-game season, the Devils are getting after the first five wins and the recent overtime loss against the Caps puts the Devils at 113-point pace. After the ups and downs under former coach Lindy Ruff, this is a refreshing start to the season that can springboard this team to the top of the pack.
The system under Sheldon Keefe as head coach is off to a very promising start. Even after a 6-5 loss in OT, it is something to see a team return twice from being down two goals to steal a point in the standings. The recent game did show that there was a lot of fightback, spirit, and raw emotion, yet there was a maturation process later on in the game where the Devils tied it up in the 3rd period. There is a lot of perseverance and a strong chemistry building in this game alone. Defensive efforts in the past game were not a typical New Jersey Devils effort, which is something that must be addressed.
As the Devils get Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce back in the lineup, this defense will start to gel more, and one of Simon Nemec or Seamus Casey would likely need to go to the AHL due to being exempt from waivers on Puckpedia. The amount of time and effort the team has played with the current defense roles have been just fine, and don't need to change much just need to have some defensive retightening done after a barn burner of a game. If you look at the current roster, this team only has one true rookie in Seamus Casey, and a few young players who have gained more experience even early in the season.
Jacob Markstrom has already made consecutive starts on a few occasions, and a few days off might give him some time to recharge in time for that game against Tampa Bay. Jake Allen can play if he gets the nod in practice.