Hit the Ice Buzzin' | 10 TAKEAWAYS

The Devils are sitting at 9-4-0, and while this recent stretch has had its bumps, it’s hard not to keep some perspective. If you’d looked at the first 10–12 games of the schedule before the season started and seen the caliber of opponents lined up, you’d sign up for a record of the same measure.

They’ve already hit some incredible highs like the eight-game win streak that reminded everyone just how dangerous this team can be, but naturally, after a run like that, coming back down a bit can feel like a letdown. That’s just the reality of an NHL season: what goes up eventually comes down one way or another. The good news for New Jersey is that even with a few hiccups, they’re still in a great spot: second in the Eastern Conference, just a single point behind Montreal.

Their most recent run, though, was as grueling as it gets: eight games in just 13 days. That’s a brutal pace for any team, and you could see the fatigue start to creep in at times. The schedule ahead still has plenty of hockey, but now there are some longer breaks between games, enough to catch their breath, tighten things up in practice, and get a little healthier. With a bit more rest and rhythm, this next stretch could be a real opportunity for the Devils to settle in and start stacking some wins again.

Now, let's get into it!

1.

Arseny doesn’t just type out the words “Genius Hughes”, I may have heard him refer to Jack as 'Genius' to his face.

2.

I was standing just outside the locker room the day after the news dropped about Jacob Markstrom’s new contract. A second later, I heard someone inside yell “Marky!” and then the place absolutely erupted. Cheers, applause, the whole deal. You didn’t even need to see it to know how much the guys love him. It was the perfect way to kick off the team meeting before taking on the Kings. Pure excitement and genuine happiness for a teammate who means a lot in that room.

No one was more thrilled than his goaltending partner Jake Allen, who also committed to the franchise this summer with a five-year deal

Allen was all smiles, thrilled to see his goaltending partner locked in for the future. The two have built a strong bond, and you could tell Allen was just as pumped as anyone to have Marky locked in to where he belongs. The two of them carry a massive responsibility, both on and off the ice, leading by example in the crease and also helping set the tone in the locker room. You could see just how much it means to have that stability in net and in the room.

“I don’t think I’ve been on a team with two goalies this old,” Allen later joked. “But we’re leaders in the group. We need to set an example. A lot of our best players are still our youthful players, so there’s a lot we can instill off the ice too, not just be a stable presence back there.”

3.

As Markstrom was talking, his goaltending partner just so happened to be walking by at the same time. He looked up at Jake Allen from the media scrum, a massive smirk stretched across his face, and added this:

“Not going to play as long as Jaker, you know, five years left…!”

4.

Did you know that Dawson Mercer was the first player in NHL history to score two shorthanded goals, then follow that up with two power play goals in his next game? Talk about versatility, that’s about as all-situations as it gets. The guy can kill penalties, run a power play, and chip in wherever he’s needed. Just another reminder of how quietly effective he’s been for the Devils this season.

I can't take credit for figuring that one out; that's all MSG's Bryce Salvador, who did the research. Credit where credit is due!

5.

Did you also know that Nico Hischier sits second in the league in even-strength faceoff wins this season? He’s at 52.3 percent, behind only Nashville’s Ryan O’Reilly (57.4 percent). He’s also third in the NHL in power-play faceoff wins at 68.3 percent and fourth overall this year at 52.4 percent. Those draws might not always show up on the scoresheet like an assist, but they’re huge. Possession is half the battle. Every clean win sets the tone for a shift, keeps the puck off the opponent’s stick, and gives the Devils a chance to control the pace. Nico’s been elite at that, and it makes a massive difference game after game.

6.

One more “did you know”… We’ve gotten so used to Jack Hughes lighting it up that it’s easy to forget just how good he’s been. But I took a quick peek at the numbers, his 10 goals in the first 13 games this season are actually the fastest goal-scoring pace of his career. Pretty awesome to see, especially considering he had shoulder surgery back in March. Doesn’t look like it’s slowed him down one bit.

I'm also looking forward to Thursday's game against the Montreal Canadiens -- no, not for the obvious reason -- but because Hughes and one of his best pals, Cole Caufield, share the league lead (along with Nathan MacKinnon and Cutter Gauthier) in goals scored this season, each with 10. You just know they'd want to one-up each other, as competitive friends do.

7.

Man, the loss of Brett Pesce hit hard, and it’s glaringly obvious the Devils miss him. His steady presence on the back end, brought a calm confidence to the group, and that’s not easy to replace.

It's something that Sheldon Keefe addressed on Wednesday, just how the drop-off has happened in the absence of Pesce.

"It hasn’t been good," he said. "Am I surprised? Yes. I love Brett Pesce, we love him here, he does so much for us but it shouldn’t shake up our group that much. We need other guys to just step up and the group itself has to pull together, just like anything else, when you lose a guy."

As a whole team, they’ve all got to step up and fill that void together. That defensive foundation, it’s about everyone taking more pride in their defensive details and buying into that side of the puck. If they can do that —if they can tighten up, defend as a unit, and make smart reads —it’s only going to make them stronger as a team and let them dictate the pace of their game moving forward.

"I’ve been pretty blunt about it with the group," Keefe added. "We’re well aware of it and we’ve just got to get it rectified here."

It’s going to serve them well as the season goes on and even when Pesce does return.

If everyone leans into that challenge and takes pride in those details, they’ll not only fill the gap Pesce left, they’ll come out of it a stronger, more complete group. That kind of growth can shape the team’s identity for the rest of the season.

8.

I’m working on getting to the bottom of the ‘Who said, ‘Already?!’ when Sheldon Keefe presented a game puck to Luke Hughes for his 100^th point.

These are the things that I do! I’ve seen the social media asks. We’ll see if anyone will share the answer. It wasn’t a voice I recognized, so I’ll have to do some digging!

9.

Want to learn how to skate like Luke Hughes? You can at least try!

Luke Hughes gives all his tips and tricks in this YouTube video presented by the NHL and NHL on ESPN.

Words of wisdom: “You can lift all the weight in the world, but if you can’t skate, you can’t skate.”

He also refuses to answer the question about who is the better skater, Luke or his brother Quinn.

10.

On Thursday, Gritsyuk will get to play against his good friend and former teammate Ivan Demidov for the first time in the NHL. Demidov, who arrived in Montreal late last year, was the one whose advice Gritsyuk sought out before he made his way to North America this summer.

Gritsyuk told me it was Demidov who gave him the warning and the advice to become as big and strong as possible to make the jump to the NHL as easy as possible, that the board battles are endless, that they just keep coming.

“I talked to him after Montreal (lost) in the playoffs," Gritsyuk recalled, "I called him for a lot of details. He said it’s always a challenging game, every game. The pressure, there’s always pressure, not much time. And the micro-battles, so important. When you go back (for the puck), body check, body check, body check,” Gritsyuk grinned, hitting his fist into his open hand to emphasize the body checking that awaits him.

“He told me you need to be stronger.”

It's another friendly battle in the upcoming game against the Canadiens and Devils. We'll see who gets the best of whom!