System Analysis: How the Devils built the NHL's best defence

The New Jersey Devils are the talk of the NHL.

They have won their last 13 games, tying a franchise record, and currently sit atop of the Metropolitan division, with only two points separating them from the Boston Bruins and the NHL overall lead. 

Hot starts have fizzled before. But the Devils’ underlying numbers suggest that won’t be their fate. Both their expected goals and expected goals against per 60 are tops in the NHL.

What’s been even more surprising than their overall success, however, is how they have attained it. While all three of the team’s offensive stars, Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Jesper Bratt, have broken the point-per-game mark, none of them currently sit in the top-10 in the league in scoring. This is not a star-driven team. The Devils are a collective force. 

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