New Jersey Devils' victory over the Bruins has a lot more meaning than people realize

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Boston Bruins in regulation on Wednesday for the first time since March 28th, 2021. They did so in dominating fashion by scoring five unanswered goals and ended the night with a 5-1 victory. They also forced Jeremy Swayman out of the game to start the third period.

With the exception of Jacob Markstrom getting injured, this win was much needed because it can "snap" the Devils back to reality. Coming into the Bruins game, the Devils were in the midst of a tough stretch. They were 2-6-3 in their last 11 outings and dropped games to inferior teams like the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, and Philadelphia Flyers. The Devils' recent struggles were reminiscent of what happened during the 2022-23 season.

After the Devils got off to a great start to the season, they started to slow down come mid-December and early January. Between December 9th and January 6th, the Devils had a record of 3-8-2 shortly after winning 13 games in a row. What broke them out of their slump? A big-time win against their arch-rival the New York Rangers.

In a comeback effort, Damon Severson scored an electrifying game-winning goal in overtime, sending the Prudential Center crowd into a frenzy. After that outing, the Devils won four straight games and returned to winning consistently. The same might happen after their latest game against the Bruins. Despite the Bruins struggling to stay afloat in the Atlantic Division, they're a team that knows how to handle the Devils.

Before Wednesday night's game, the Bruins were 8-0-2 in their previous 10 meetings against the Devils. Last night's win can be a confidence booster, and the Devils may recapture their momentum. Pucks and Pitchforks had the chance to speak with Dawson Mercer after his two-goal performance and he agreed that the team is heading in the right direction.

"We wanted to improve our game ever since the [Christmas] break and get back on the right track. Anytime a team comes into your building, you want to put up a hard fight...Anytime the Bruins come in, they're a tough team. We focused on ourselves, we knew what we had to do, and we dialed it in."

Dawson Mercer postgame vs. Bruins

New Jersey Devils could turn rough stretch around with win versus Boston Bruins

Head coach Sheldon Keefe echoed what Mercer said postgame. The offense has been tough to come by for the Devils as of late. However, scoring an onslaught of goals against one of the best goalies in the NHL is definitely a big accomplishment.

"We can breathe a little bit now. We can remember that we can score goals, play well, and win games convincingly...but it's just one game, so you got to go out and do it again...This was the type of response I was hoping for...I hope that we can start to build momentum here again and find our way. I also hope that what we've been through is behind us and that we're better having gone through it."

Sheldon Keefe postgame vs. Bruins

The Devils still have a lot of work to do if they want to get back to winning more consistently. But they're heading in the right direction. Hopefully, this dominating victory gives them the confidence they need to turn their luck around, similar to what happened during the 2022-23 season.