Hynes has talked repeatedly during the past two months about the Devils needing to be tough to play against. They were for most of last season, even in games they didn't win.
But that hasn't been the case enough this season.
"We have to play with structure and attention to detail to give ourselves the best opportunity to be very competitive in games," Hynes said. "That's one way to be tough to play against, and we can be better there. The other part is we've been off and on in our competitive battles on the puck. Winning puck battles and things like that are components that are part of being hard to play against that have to be more consistent."
This is an area where the Devils have missed defenseman Adam Larsson. That was the price general manager Ray Shero had to pay in the trade for Hall, and there's no doubt he'd make that trade again today if he had the choice.
But though many viewed the trade as a steal for the Devils, those outside New Jersey might not have understood Larsson's importance in terms of the minutes and the role he played.
At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Larsson has developed into a physical presence, surprising even the Oilers. His 126 hits are tied for eighth in the League and tied for fourth among defensemen.
By comparison, Kyle Quincey's 60 hits are the most by a Devils defenseman.
"Obviously, he played hard minutes, he was a great competitor, defended really well," Hynes said of Larsson. "But he's also a huge culture guy. What I mean by that is the way he plays, the way he practices, his care level about the team, the type of teammate he is. Those things are intangibles that, at times, you do miss, and what he brought to the team on the ice, they're not easy things to replace even though the return we got has been a heck of a player. It's a good move, but [Larsson] is an important guy."