Devils establish themselves as a clear Stanley Cup favourite with dominant preseason record

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Alexender Camilo
October 7, 2023 (11:29)

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The New Jersey Devils wanted to make a statement before the start of the regular season. It looks like they did just that. The Devils have just completed a perfect 7-0 record after shutting out the New York Islanders 3-0, becoming only the fifth NHL team in post-lockout history to accomplish the feat of going undefeated in the preseason.

The Devils dominated their way through the preseason, scoring 30 goals while only conceding 13. Twice, they scored six goals on their opponent against the Philadelphia Flyers on September 25, and against the New York Islanders on October 2nd.

Young center for the Devils, Dawson Mercer, was very complimentary of his young goaltender, Akira Schmid, for stopping all 30 shots against the Islanders:

"You can't complain about that. Every day when you're coming to the rink and you're playing a game and you win, it's a great feeling. I think we did a real great job of it in the preseason, using it to our advantage... I'm just really happy to be part of this group right now."

The Devils seem to have a unique goalie tandem with Vitek Vanecek and the aforementioned Schmid, and with the way the preseason ended for both, the Devils are starting the season out on some pretty solid footing in goal. They are looking to make a deep run at the playoffs this year with a young and talented roster after being ousted in five games against the Carolina Hurricanes last season. If the preseason is any indication, they might be among the favorites to hoist the Stanley Cup this season!

The Devils hold their home opener at Prudential Center against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, October 12th.