After finishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference last season, the New Jersey Devils have been among the NHL’s surprise teams.
The Devils have been atop the Metropolitan Division for most of the opening weeks and are 6-2-0 for their best start since beginning with the same record 15 years ago.
“Our team’s played extremely hard,” coach John Hynes said. “I thought we’d come out of training camp ready to play.”
New Jersey, seeking its first playoff appearance since losing to the Los Angeles Kings in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, has been doing it with a balanced effort.