Devils’ Vibes at an Ultimate High This Christmas – The Hockey Writers New Jersey Devils Latest News, Analysis & More

Waiting outside the New Jersey Devils’ locker room following Monday’s win over the New York Rangers, you could feel the energy. Upbeat music was blaring from inside and players were hooting and hollering. Who could blame them? They have outscored their rivals 10-1 over two victories and have taken an impressive 23-11-3 record into the Christmas break.

Related: Devils’ Seamus Casey Speaks on World Juniors Experience

This isn’t just a one-off bout of happiness; the vibes are truly through the roof. From dancing after wins and passionately celebrating goals in practice to jokingly screaming “WOO!” to distract fellow teammates during interviews, this team is a tight-knit group that knows how to balance fun with hard work.

During Noesen’s interview, an unidentified Devils player from outside of the locker room screamed “WOOOO” at the top of his lungs.

Noesen stopped mid answer to laugh.

Any guesses who??#NJDevils

— Daniel Amoia (@daniel_amoia) December 22, 2024

If you look at most recent Stanley Cup champions, they were groups that cared about each other off the ice as much as on it. This closeness is especially evident in the dynamic between Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon, who are so close they are like “college buddies” (via New Jersey Devils). But it goes for the entire team, even celebrating holidays like Halloween and Christmas with some teammates.

Thoughts From Sheldon Keefe & Jack Hughes

Head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke to The Hockey Writers (THW) about the great vibes surrounding this year’s squad:

“If you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, it becomes a grind. This is hard, you (journalists) are here most days along with us, this is a grind. Whether it’s practice days or games, traveling on the road…when you think about it, we’ve got sort of the quote unquote easy job. We don’t have to physically go out there. These guys go through a lot, so you have to really enjoy what you’re doing. You have to really enjoy each other. I think we’re really doing that. I hope that they’re enjoying playing here and playing on this team as much as I’m enjoying coaching them, because I really am enjoying coaching them. It’s been terrific working with these guys. There is a balance there (though), I think it starts with the work…lead with the work, lead with the speed, lead with the pace…whether it’s practice or games, guys are getting rewarded for it. But as good as it feels and as much as you want to acknowledge it, we haven’t even met the halfway point. There’s so much hockey left to be played. So enjoy the break, enjoy the holiday, feel good about the work you’ve done. There’s lots more to come and we hope that the best is yet to come.”

– Sheldon Keefe

Superstar forward Hughes gave his insight to THW as well, “I mean, winning obviously cures everything. So I think every year we’ve had a great group in the locker room, and last year we had fun, but you’re losing so much that it doesn’t make it as fun. This year, we have another good group, and we’re winning, and that just makes it more enjoyable coming to the rink. And I think we really believe in our group, and it allows us to come to the rink and enjoy it, and then we go to work when it’s time to go to work.”

The Devils have won 18 of their last 26 games, in large part due to their historic level of defensive commitment. Their opponents have 20 shots or fewer in seven straight games, the first-ever streak of that length since the NHL started tracking shots in 1959-60.

If you’re a diehard Devils fan, it’s likely that the greatest holiday gift is what you’ve been experiencing for the past few weeks – stifling defense, stellar goaltending and a high-powered offense. They now have a 98.3% chance to make the playoffs, according to MoneyPuck.