10 Observations From Devils’ 10-Game Winning Streak

After a shaky first two games of the season, the New Jersey Devils have been on a tear. They’ve won 13 of their last 14 games and are riding a 10-game winning streak heading into tonight’s tilt against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Their goaltending has been great, but it’s not just goaltending that’s gotten them to this point. Here are 10 observations from a 10-game run that’s seen the Devils rise to the top of the Metropolitan Division and league standings. 

Devils Have Gotten Quality Goaltending

We might as well start with the Devils’ goaltending since it has been exceptional. It begins with Vitek Vanecek, who’s started the majority of the team’s games with Mackenzie Blackwood sidelined for a few more weeks with an MCL sprain. Over the last 10 games, he’s made eight appearances and posted a 7-0-0 record with a .934 save percentage (SV%). 

In that time, Vanecek has posted a .943 SV% at five-on-five, placing him ahead of Igor Shesterkin, Ville Husso and Carter Hart. Vanecek’s five-on-five high-danger SV% of .850 over this stretch is identical to the mark he posted last season with the Washington Capitals. The .943 five-on-five SV% will regress eventually, but he did post a .926 at that game state in 2021-22. So far, so good for the Devils after acquiring Vanecek from the Capitals at the draft in July. 

And even though Vanecek has received the majority of playing time in between the pipes, Akira Schmid and Blackwood have also played their part. Blackwood played well against the Canucks in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago, while Schmid kept the winning streak alive with some stellar play in overtime against the Ottawa Senators last week. He’d follow that up with a good enough start against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday and has posted a .920 SV% in his limited sample with the Devils this season. Combined with Vanecek’s efforts, goaltending is a significant reason why the team has won 10 in a row. 

Hughes Has Arrived

Well, he actually arrived a season ago. But following a sort of slow start to the 2022-23 campaign, Jack Hughes has come alive. Following the Devils’ 5-1 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday evening, in which he had two goals and an assist, he has 15 points across his last 10 games — a 123-point pace over 82 games. 

Over that stretch, Hughes has crushed the competition at five-on-five, posting a 62.2 expected goals…