The New Jersey Devils entered Sunday afternoon against the Colorado Avalanche as the top team in the NHL, having won seven in a row. Although they suffered more setbacks than in previous games, the end result remained the same: Jack Hughes’ extra-time winner – his eighth goal in as many games – lifted the Devils to a 4-3 victory.
Related: Jack Hughes propels Devils to 4-3 victory against Avalanche in overtime
For the first time in a long time…Setback.
The Devils have been so popular for so long that adversity is difficult to endure. When they took a 2-0 lead, it looked like things would smoother to an eighth straight win. Quick, said the Avalanche not so fast while Valeri Nichushkin and Nathan Mackinnon each scored in the space of around four minutes to set things up. Up until that point, the Devils hadn’t seen such a lead sneak away all season.
To make matters worse, Brett Pesce blocked a Brent Burns shot with 5:21 to go in the first and did not return to the game. The Devils, after a defenseman, still managed to beat one of the NHL’s best teams and complete a sweep of their three-game homestand.
Jack Hughes has scored eight goals in his last eight games.
The #NJDevils Haven’t lost since he scored his first. pic.twitter.com/F8SrkkYsDE
— Daniel Amoia (@daniel_amoia) October 26, 2025
Unfortunately, Brett Pesce is “not great,” according to head coach Sheldon Keefe, and will not travel with the team on their upcoming road trip. That makes their ability to overcome adversity all the more important, as we saw today.
“It’s kind of a call to action when you lose not just a defender, but an integral defender like Pesce, especially against a team like [Colorado] That is so dynamic offensively,” said Keefe. “But we are just getting back to work. We had a few chances late, but of course we made up for them in extra time (…) It’s a taste of what you’ll be dealing with throughout the season.”
Arseny Gritsyuk continues to produce
With how bad the Devils’ depth scoring situation was last season, Arseny Gritsyuk was an absolute revelation. He is now on pace for 18 goals and 55 points overall. While many fans clamored for the Devils to add a top-six winger this offseason, Gritsyuk is starting to prove he belongs there for the long haul.
It’s not just about the point production: He’s been surprisingly physical and has shown mature defensive play, prompting head coach Sheldon Keefe to call him a “complete player” after their game against Minnesota. Today was no exception as he led the entire team in shot attempts (10) and was second in scoring opportunities (3), while also leading in goals (3).
His line with Timo Meier and Nico Hischier certainly played well, in fact, they didn’t allow a single rushing opportunity in 12:21 of ice time against a dynamic talent for the Avs.
“[Arseny] came in here and played some really good hockey,” Jack said. “I think people probably didn’t know what to expect from him, and I know myself and the guys in this room are very impressed with how good he is. He is a man who can hopefully be part of our core for a long time.”
Brenden Dillon remains rock solid
Brenden Dillon scored 16 points all last season; he’s now on pace for ~45 while adding an assist today. While that pace may not be sustainable, it’s not just the offensive production that has made him such a key piece during this run:
After undergo artificial disc replacement surgery this offseason he looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. According to NHL EDGEhis maximum skate speed of 21.29 miles per hour (MPH) is above the league average, putting him in the 64th percentile. Today the Devils had to lean on him more when Pesce went down; he played a total of 19:31. Despite tough competition, the Devils defeated the Avs 9-6 with Dillon on the ice. (via Natural statistical trick)
Numbers aside, there will always be little things that don’t show up on the scoresheet when it comes to Dillon. In the second, he had a huge hit that Keefe credited for giving the team “a boost.” With about 5:30 left in the third, the Avs were buzzing in their zone, but Dillon used an active stick to effectively interrupt a scoring opportunity that would have led to a dangerous shot on goal.
“He had a little bit where he put a couple into the net for us, but that’s out of character. But what you can expect is for him to be solid and competitive,” Keefe added.
His steadfastness has helped young defender Simon Nemec get off to a very solid start: seven points in nine games, including three assists today. The fact that the Devils defense is deep enough (when healthy) to have Dillon on the bottom pair is an absolute luxury. Nemec and Dillon are on pace for a combined 108 points this season – while that is certainly unsustainable, it really speaks to the depth of their defense.
Come on
These two teams will face off again to complete their home-and-home on Tuesday (October 28) in Colorado (9:00 PM EDT).
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