The start to the 26-27' season has been nothing short of a house of horrors for the New Jersey thus far. While positive signs were present yet again, it had yielded nothing but bone chilling results for Devils fans. However in a very well placed spot on Thursday night, trusting the process paid off in a big way.
For a change it was the opposition making the mistakes, especially JT Miller with time ticking away in the first period. Miller, tricked by a spinning puck attempted to send an East/West pass deep in his o-zone which turned into a treat for the Devils and Evan Rodrigues. Rodrigues' goal in the closing seconds of the first propelled an NJ offense that similar to prior years had been somewhat snake bitten, despite driving play in many games. The Devils offense would go on to erupt for seven total goals and 12 in their last two games, a trend we hope will continue through the remainder of this spooky season.
Nico Daws
A very solid game for the hopeful 1A, young, net minder. Daws gave the Devils the very important, chance to score first. They did just that and rewarded Nico with a big cushion early in the second. WHile Daws played a good game, the jury is still very much out for deliberation. We are yet to see Daws play in a tight game this season. Thursday was a positive step, but a much bigger sample size is needed .
Luke Hughes
All of the risky play the last few seasons is starting to pay dividends as Luke Hughes begins to take the next step. It was the long leash, the patience of the organization and the willingness to accept the mistakes of a young defender that make a player's development possible. Luke, the fastest, biggest and youngest of the Hughes brothers is primed to take the next step. The little brother has the advantage both Quinn and Jack did not have, and that is learning from Quinn and Jack. Building off of their experiences, both as a D-man and a Devil, certainly give him the inside track. Sky's the limit for the player I used to only refer to as "Future HOFer Luke Hughes". Perhaps my confidence took a hit last season but if he keeps this up, I may have to revert to my old ways...
Fright Fest
Through the first seven games of October Jersey finds themselves with a somewhat disappointing 4-3 record. The team has struggled to find themselves in the early going, but does seem on the cusp of putting it somewhat together. What lies ahead you ask? Quite the daunting task.
NJ's next eight games are as follows:
@WSH (#9 best odds to win cup)
COL (#1 best odds to win cup)
ANA (must win)
LAK (must win)
@DAL (#8 best odds to win cup)
@COL*back to back (#1 best odds to win cup)
@VGK (#4 best odds to win cup)
EDM*November (#5 best odds to win cup)
-odds from Caesar's Sportsbook 10/16/2026
Can the Devils go .500 or better through this stretch? Or will it be a Halloween house of horrors that ends in a potential beheading of head(maybe headless) coach Sheldon Keefe? Lets hear your thoughts in the comments!
Hey Siri play "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen...