Movin' and Groovin' | 10 TAKEAWAYS

How did we, all of a sudden, already approach the 20 game mark? 

Tomorrow against the Capitals, is game No. 20. Crazy, eh? 

A lot has happened through the first 22.62 percent of the season (I had to Google that math). 

The Devils have landed back from Winnipeg after a 3-game trip where they went 2-1-0. And it was a really fun trip, especially off the ice, where we got to interact with so many Devils fans. 

And that's where we start in this week's 10 Takeaways:

1.

The fan-takeover at UBS Arena on Saturday night was so cool. From where I sit in the press box, it hung just over the section where all the Devils fans gathered. And when I say you could hear them loud and clear, I truly mean it. 

I'm fairly positive I heard "Let's Go Devils!" chants well before any Islanders chants. 

There were roughly 200 Devils fans in their black and red making their fandom known, and everyone in the locker room was quick to recognize their support. 

“I think at the time our guys were facing the flag (during the anthem), so they didn’t quite know, and then I saw a lot of heads turn at the same time,” said head coach Sheldon Keefe postgame. “It was a pretty good feeling on the bench that they had some folks behind them tonight. That kind of sent a message that this was a little extra special evening here. That gave us a little extra boost. So, kudos to those folks that came out and brought it tonight.”

“We had a full section of fans that came out, made the trip and supported us,” Luke Evangelista said after the game. “You feed off that and those games are a blast to play.”

"Yeah, that was pretty cool," Luke Hughes added. "I noticed that right off the get-go. I don’t know if I’ve seen that in my tenure here. That was really special to see and a really cool atmosphere.”

"That whole section was pretty crazy all night, bringing energy, that was fun,” Jack also chimed in. 

For Jack to get that overtime winner and salute the section of Devils fans, that was just the icing on the cake.

2.

Nothing beats a homemade chocolate chip cookie…! Especially apparently when made by Declan Chisholm’s mom. Chisholm, who is from Ontario, got to see his family when the team played in Toronto over the weekend and he also ended up with a huge Tupperware filled with homemade cookies… more cookies than he could possibly eat himself. 

So when we arrived in Winnipeg and Declan was walking off the plane, he opened up the Tupperware and started handing out cookies as he walked down the aisle. There was no way you could say no to a home made cookie… so most, if not all of us, grabbed (at least) one.

They were incredible. 

So, just want to give a shoutout to Declan’s mom for providing an unexpected treat! 

3.

Connor Hellebuyck become just the 27th goalie in NHL history to win 350-or-more NHL games when he posted the shutout in Toronto. Five of the 350 victory have come with the New Jersey Devils. He’s also only played five games so far and that 5-0-0 record has set a new franchise record. He's the first goalie in franchise history to win his first five games, surpassing the previous mark set by John Vanbiesbrouck who won his first four games with the team in 2000-01.

4. 

As a Canadian, the Olympics hurt. And then, there was that moment in the Devils versus St. Louis game where Jack Hughes pulled an absolutely brilliant move on Jordan Binnington… and my first reaction up in the press box? 

“Ohhh \NOW** you stop him!” 

5. 

Dawson Mercer and Nico Daws are both still living at a hotel in Winnipeg (both assured me they’re getting their own places very soon), and it just so happens to be the same hotel that we stay at when we come into town. So, it was a full-on reunion when I walked into the lobby around dinner time and saw a gathering of a bunch of Devils, and right in the mix there was Mercer.

It was a gathering of old friends, and they ventured out to dinner together as well.

6.

Usually during warmups on the road if there’s no access to the bench, I’ll stand in one of the corners to take my lineup picture. The corner I had in Winnipeg was unlike any other I’ve ever experienced. That was such an intense, but fun, experience to be a part of. You just have to take in the moment for what it was. But I cannot tell you how much laughter there was from our little Devils corner when Connor Hellebuyck took to the net, the crowd relentlessly booing, and next thing you know, his own teammates, as part of the regular warmup routine, fired shots at him. Now normally, they’re real shots, but I don’t think anyone on the ice wanted to be the player to put a puck past him and give the crowd any sort of reason to get on him even more. 

So Dougie Hamilton was up first, and he set the tone. He just lobbed that shot ever so delicately right into Hellebuyck’s glove with the biggest grin on his face. And what followed was hilarious, with each player delicately placing the puck directly into Hellebuyck’s chest and glove to make sure each puck was saved.

7.

That'll now be 501 points and counting for Nico Hischier after his 2-points in Toronto. 

So where does that place him? Well, he’s just the sixth player in franchise history to hit 500-or-more points, and in the context of Switzerland, he’s just the third Swiss to reach 500-plus in the NHL. 

8.

Shoutout to a Devils fan I met in Winnipeg. I didn’t get his last name, but his first name is Calle.

We stayed in the city after the game so everyone could get a proper night’s rest before flying home. A good night’s rest doesn’t mean heading straight to bed, though, so the MSG crew (in front of and behind the camera), Matt Loughlin, my cameraman Christian and I all headed to the hotel pub for a nightcap. We took over a corner, and before long we had a guest.

Calle, a Devils fan since Day 1, came over to say hi. These are the best interactions we get: genuine fans who love the team and just want to talk about it. Calle now lives in Florida and is trying to see the Devils in every NHL city. He crossed Toronto and Winnipeg off the list on this trip, bringing him to 16 arenas so far, and he’s already planning his next stops.

Moments like that are why we love this job. Thanks, Calle!

9.

Oh what a difference a year can make. The Utica Comets have been on a roll this season, one of just three teams in the American Hockey League with just two losses on the season. 

But more than that, they’ve got the AHL’s beat win percentage at .818. They’re currently riding a five-game win streak and have a 9-2-0 record. 

Lets put that in comparison to last year, last season the Comets didn’t get their eighth win until the opening weekend of January. This year they have eight in their first ten games and the AHL’s best winning percentage.

10.

There are two new items on the menu at Newark’s own Hobby’s Deli. 

NHL.com’s Mike Morealle paid a visit to Mike and Marc Brummer's famous deli where they unveiled two new menu items in honor of both GM Sunny Mehta and Hellebuyck. 

Sunny's Cooking, Morrealle shares, is a freshly ground, more than half-pound burger topped with American cheese, sauteed onions, Taylor Ham, a sunny-side-up egg and a touch of "Devils" hot sauce.

As for the menu item in Hellebuyck’s honor? Well, that’s a new lava cake on the menu. The connection? It’s from the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Games after both the men’s and women’s US National hockey teams won their Olympic medals. 

As legend would have it, Hellebuyck ordered a massive batch of lava cakes so everyone, so they could all sit around together and celebrate the historic moment.

I also like to think it looks like a hockey puck too. 

You can read more about the entire thought process here!