After an impressive victory against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night, the celebration was short-lived after the Devils were crushed by the Colorado Avalanche in the second leg of their two-game road trip. A loss that Sheldon Keefe already moved past an hour after the game; it was definitely one to brush off and move forward.
The victory against Dallas should not be overshadowed, however. Focusing on their impressive win and disregarding the loss that followed, New Jersey looks like it might finally be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference. Newly acquired goaltender Connor Hellebuyck posted a .941 SV% with his new team, stopping 16 of 17 shots in a Devils’ victory that saw 12 different Devils acquire at least one point in the 5-1 victory. Prior to their matchup against Colorado, the Devils were on a 12-game streak of outshooting their opposition, generating offensive chances at an immense rate.
The Stars went into the game as winners of five straight and 5th in the Western Conference with a 7-3-1 record. New Jersey wasn’t intimidated in the slightest, snuffing out the Stars' talented offense and outshooting them 27 to 17 and only allowing a deflection goal. The question remains: is this team finally for real, or are they going to fizzle out eventually and become the same old Devils of years past?
Out of all 32 NHL teams, there is one matchup that Devils fans should have circled on their calendars. It’s not the matchup against the sneaky-good Vegas Golden Knights or mighty Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. It’s a familiar enemy.
The Devils need to reignite a rivalry if they are going to become true Stanley Cup contenders
The Devils play the Carolina Hurricanes at the Rock on February 23rd, and although it’s months away, the first time these two teams meet will prove if the Devils are the real deal or not. The Hurricanes have dominated the Devils in recent history, with New Jersey having an embarrassing record of 1-9-0 in their last ten games against Carolina. Currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference with a record of 11-2-2, while also coming off a Stanley Cup-winning season, the Hurricanes are the demon the Devils have to exorcise.
Watching the Hurricanes lift the Cup left the majority of Devils fans feeling sour. Becoming one of New Jersey's biggest divisional rivals in recent years, the recent success of Carolina has made the rivalry even stronger. Now, this may be the season it all changes and New Jersey finally proves they can step into the ring with the best of the best. By February, the Devils will hopefully be in the midst of forming their true identity for the season. Also, the trade deadline would be a week away from when this matchup will occur, so depending on how they perform against Carolina, it could lead to big changes or a quiet deadline.
Of course, the Flyers, Islanders, and Rangers will always be the biggest rivals of the New Jersey Devils because of their geographical location, but the hockey team in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been wiping the floor with the Devils lately. Before the team can even think about the Stanley Cup, they need to prove that this new-look team also has a new mentality.
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