The New Jersey Devils are among the more high-octane teams in the NHL at midseason, clocking in at eighth in the league heading into Tuesday night’s slate of games with 142 goals scored. What’s striking about the Devils is that they’re only ranked in the middle of the league in shooting percentage at 10.6 percent, so it’s not like they’re scoring every other time they enter the offensive zone after passing the puck around.
Instead, the Devils secret to success involves taking shots at the net, and a lot of them. So far, that number is a solid 29.88 per game. While you can make a valid argument and say that the Devils have also played in a season-high 45 games, it’s one that isn’t as strong as you may expect.
For example, the Los Angeles Kings have played in just 40 games, yet are averaging 27.22 shots on goal per game, about 2.66 percent fewer than the Devils. The next team with the fewest games on the list, the Calgary Flames, has just 29.2 per game out of 41 games played, and the Tampa Bay Lightning has 28.17 in the same amount of matchups as Calgary.
New Jersey Devils rank near the top in shots on goal
For the Devils, getting consistent shots on goal means winning hockey games. And if they’re looking to continue what’s been one of the more successful 2024-25 campaigns to date, shooting the puck often is the key.
- Carolina Hurricanes - 1,398
- Edmonton Oilers - 1,356
- New Jersey Devils - 1,345
- Vegas Golden Knights - 1,328
- Florida Panthers - 1,326
- Colorado Avalanche - 1,296
- Dallas Stars - 1,294
- Columbus Blue Jackets - 1,290
- Pittsburgh Penguins 1,284
- New York Rangers - 1,259
- Boston Bruins - 1,244
- Ottawa Senators - 1,244
- Toronto Maple Leafs - 1,243
- Winnipeg Jets - 1,233
- Minnesota Wild - 1,226
- Nashville Predators - 1,226
- San Jose Sharks - 1,218
- New York Islanders - 1,212
- Calgary Flames - 1,200
- St. Louis Blues - 1,191
- Anaheim Ducks - 1,191
- Philadelphia Flyers - 1,189
- Seattle Kraken - 1,188
- Washington Capitals - 1,177
- Buffalo Sabres - 1,162
- Tampa Bay Lightning - 1,155
- Utah Hockey Club - 1,143
- Los Angeles Kings - 1,089
- Chicago Blackhawks - 1,080
- Montreal Canadiens - 1,075
- Detroit Red Wings - 1,069
- Vancouver Canucks - 1,058
So, if you’re a Devils fan, the message to your team should be obvious: More shots on goal, between 29 and 30 per game, on average, will lead to more W’s so they can gain ground on the Washington Capitals and take the Metro Division.