Devils off to best start since 1993-94 season after beating Avalanche for 8th straight win

NEWARK – It was the kind of test that, at this time of year, proves valuable for when the games really start to matter.

It was also one that the New Jersey Devils passed.

For the first time since 1993, the Devils have won eight of their first nine games of the season after Jack Hughes’ overtime game-winner gave his team a 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche in a Sunday afternoon matinee at Prudential Center.

New Jersey advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference Final during that 1993-94 season, falling only to the eventual champion New York Rangers in Game 7.

This year? It’s early. But things are tracking in a similar direction.

Statistically, the Devils are the league’s top team, but they’ve also passed the eye test as well, even in facing adversity in having climbed to the top of the ladder mostly without starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom and now defenseman Brett Pesce, who was injured in the first period on Sunday and will not be traveling with the team on their upcoming road trip.

“I thought we did a good job; we got out and got to our game pretty early and got a lead, so we were in a pretty good spot there,” said second-year head coach Sheldon Keefe. “I don’t like how we handled that in the back end of the first period, but it’s a little bit of a call to action when you lose not just a defenseman, but such an integral one in Pesce and especially against a team like this that’s so dynamic offensively…the group had to rally.”

After his first goal of the game gave the Devils a 2-0 lead at the 9:48 mark of the first period, Hughes eventually potted the winner just 1:53 into the extra session, taking advantage of Simon Nemec forcing a turnover and finding him alone in front, ultimately beating rookie goaltender Trent Miner to score his league-leading eighth goal of the season.

“They’re a great team with some great players, but they played yesterday and we had to jump on them a little bit,” Hughes said. “Tonight was a good win for us, but that’s a really good team over there.”