It's Their House | 10 TAKEAWAYS

What an absolute buzz at Prudential Center when Simon Nemec scored that game-tying goal with 4.7 seconds left on Monday night. The place was absolutely electric as the Devils salvaged a point against the Islanders.

It's a reminder of just how much this Devils team came into the season wanting to truly change the way Prudential Center is seen and felt by opponents this year. They were so dissapointed with their home record last season that the 2025-26 home record has been a talking point from the moment training camp started. It's a goal, to make Prudential Center a problematic place for the opponent to play, that the team has, so far, made good on—one of those building blocks for long-term success.

"Every team in the league would say the same thing, you want your home ice to be a place you’re comfortable in and other teams aren’t," Jake Allen said after the shootout win against Montreal. "Word travels around the league quick through players. I remember playing in St. Louis and other teams hated coming to our building and that was just talked about throughout the league. You sort of want to try and get that in the mindset of the opposing team. It’s not easy, it takes time, but we want to take pride on our home ice.”

So far so good. New Jersey ended their three-game homestand with a 3-0-1 record and improved to 7-0-1 at home.

1.

On Tuesday, the Devils hit the road for what’s officially a five-game trip running through next Saturday. But with the packed schedule, the team decided to break it up into two parts, the first being the opening two games of the trip, in Chicago and Washington, before leaving next Monday for Florida. It was something that was planned before the season started, and one that could end up being a big help, especially for some of the injured guys who might be ready to rejoin the lineup along the way. Neither Connor Brown or Dougie Hamilton are on this first leg, and there’s a possibility, hopefully, that Brown or Hamilton (or both) ready to jump back in for the second leg.

The trip includes stops in Chicago, Washington, both Florida teams, and Philadelphia. Because it’s such a long stretch, they’re tackling it in two legs.

So, you can think of it as a two-for-one five-game road trip.

2.

Alex Mogilny finally has his spot in hockey history locked in. On Monday night, he was officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025.

It took a crazy 16 years of eligibility for it to happen, but it’s finally done. Every year, as the nominees came out, media and fans alike would say this had to be the year Mogilny got in... well, no more guessing. He’s in.

I checked in with his former teammate, Ken Daneyko, just to get his thoughts on finally seeing it happen. Daneyko is thrilled for his former teammate.

"Obviously great player," he told me. "Speed, hands, all those good things. I remember he would make defensemen better in practice because the game looked easy for him. He would break our ankles sometimes, which made me better, having to defend him as a teammate. We needed a guy that was dynamic in 2000. A guy who didn’t need as many chances to put the puck in the net. He was our man. Kinda the final piece of the puzzle to make us Champions."

"Electrifying player that made fans come out of there seat," Daneyko added. "Special player and well-deserved honor. Loved Alex."

3.

Mogilny, as part of his induction speech, saved his time with the Devils for last.

Here's what he had to say:

"And the New Jersey Devils, where I became part of something truly special. Lifting the Stanley Cup in 2000. It was an incredible group, it wasn’t just a career highlight, it was the embodiment of what hockey stands for: teammwork, sacrifice and unwaivering belief."

4.

From one Hall of Fame to another... Next weekend, Martin Brodeur enters yet another Hall of Fame. He'll be inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame next Friday.

5.

A little tidbit from morning skate on Monday: As some of the power play regulars were walking onto the ice for the start of the morning session, it could be heard: “We’re getting on tonight.” It was said with such authority, too. Those were the exact words, and then they go out, and Timo Meier nails a shot on the first power play attempt.

6.

This reaction from Jacob Markstrom getting ‘scored on’ by the young kids who visited the team from the Make-A-Wish foundation was absolutely priceless.

Two of the young hockey players led the end-of-practice stretch session too. When they stepped onto the ice, there was plenty of applause, sticktaps and cheers. Sheldon Keefe made sure the two kids made their way to the center of the circle to lead the stretch. And when the kids kept switching up the stretches, the reaction from the guys was fantastic. A couple of ‘Ohhh!’s. And then someone finished off with ‘Best stretch we’ve had all year!

7.

Those red flowers that have popped up on the lapels of the New Jersey Devils coaching staff on Thursday… those are poppies, a symbol in Canada to recognize all fallen soldiers, which began after World War 1.

The Devils' staff, three of which are Canadian, wore poppies for the first time this November when the Montreal Canadiens visited town. I know it was a very appreciated gesture, seeing the entire bench staff, training and equipment staff included, wearing the poppies on a Canadian broadcast. It was even recognized on the French language broadcast, the appreciation of a United States based team having their staff wear poppies for games.

The coaches have continued to wear them since.

8.

It would have been cool but the Devils opening season home game winning streak fell just one short of the club record.

But hey, technically they’re still undefeated in regulation at home.

9.

That game-tying goal by Nemec? That one set franchise history.

It was the latest game-tying goal by a defenseman in franchise history, surpassing Bruce Driver's March 1, 1987 goal scored with seven seconds remaining in the Devils game.

10.

We saw a quick glimpse of a line shuffle in the third period against the Islanders that caught everyones attention. Arseny Gritsyuk was bumped up to play with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt for some of the period. You don't get that type of assignment, regardless of game situation, without the trust of your coaching staff.

It seems like we have a new quote every week about Gritsyuk and the revelation he's become in his first year in New Jersey.

“Yeah, he’s been really good, smart player. He made a few mistakes early in preseason that he talked to him about,” Sheldeon Keefe said. “He’s able to make quick adjustments, and really hasn’t made the same mistakes since. So that’s a sign of intelligence, which is so vital and so important. So that gives him a chance.”

That may have been the biggest question mark in bringing in Gritsyuk, just what was his game apart from scoring goals going to be like, how would it translate in the NHL, where everyone is just a bit faster, stronger and the best-of-the-best.

It's his hockey smarts that makes the biggest difference, He makes a mistake once and doesn't repeat it.

“Grits, when he doesn’t have his best game,” Keefe said. “There’s a solid foundation there, and that’s so important for any player, but especially one coming into the league like he does, a lot of things well. When he’s not having his best game on offence, or hasn’t had that many touches of the puck, he’s reliable. He’s hard on the puck. He can skate with anybody.”