5 scariest New Jersey Devils stats that must be fixed in 2024-25

Stat #2: Opponent scored first 57 times

The New Jersey Devils got scored on first so many times, it became a joke. Well, the whole season was a joke, but this part wasn't funny. The Devils gave up the first goal 57 times out of 82 games. Their record in the games they scored first? 16-6-3. That's a 115-point pace. We repeat, the New Jersey Devils had a 115-point pace in games they scored first.

On games where the other team scored first, the Devils went 22-33-2. They were 10-20-1 at home when the other team scored first. Meanwhile, he Devils were 7-1-0 at home when they scored first.

The reasons why the Devils couldn't score first were aplenty. At some point, it became clear the "scoring first" was in the team's head. The starts were slow, and they looked slow. The Devils were having physically slow starts, which was startling for a team built on speed. It came down to being tentative. They were either taking shots too early in the play or waiting for the perfect pass just to get it tipped away before it could happen.Nothing worked, and it led to broken confidence.

Under new Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe, the Toronto Maple Leafs scored first 48 times. They came out fast most nights, and it helped the Maple Leafs break 100 points. An upgrade at head coach should help the Devils avoid this fate again.