Devils Aim for Historic Five-Game Winning Streak Against Maple Leafs

The New Jersey Devils aim to clinch their first five-game winning streak in over two years as they face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

The Devils secured their fourth consecutive win by defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Saturday afternoon, with Jack Hughes contributing two goals to the victory.

The team last achieved a five-game winning streak from January 7-16, 2023. Since then, they have managed 13 three-game winning streaks.

“You want to be one of those teams that can go on a crazy streak,” Hughes remarked. “I think that’s something we’ve been missing in the past. It’s been two or three years since we’ve done that, right? It’s nice to start building a little streak and hopefully keep it going.”

On the other hand, the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to spark a winning streak of their own. They are currently 2-1-1 on a five-game homestand that concludes on Tuesday.

In their recent match, the Maple Leafs lost 4-3 in overtime to the Seattle Kraken, which left Toronto goalie Anthony Stolarz frustrated.

“Even though we’re six games into the season, enough’s enough,” Stolarz said. “We need to start picking up points and stop leaving them on the table. We have the skill, grit, and grind. It’s frustrating not being able to put it together right now.”

Stolarz was particularly displeased when William Nylander allowed Seattle’s Josh Mahura to skate past him for a breakaway goal in overtime.

“It’s overtime; you can’t let someone beat you up the ice for a clear breakaway,” he said.

Toronto coach Craig Berube addressed the frustration on Monday, stating, “We prefer to keep such issues within the team, but it happens. We’ve moved on from it.”

The team discusses these matters internally. “We’re all grown men here,” Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said. “There was no sugarcoating.”

The Maple Leafs have not fully capitalized on playing eight of their first ten games at home. “We’re inconsistent,” said defenseman Morgan Rielly, who scored once on Saturday. “It’s early, but everyone wants a strong start. We’re at home for a while, and we want to take advantage. So, there is urgency to bank points and play well.”

Tuesday marks another return to Toronto for Devils coach Sheldon Keefe, who led the Maple Leafs for over four seasons before Berube took over last year.

Under Keefe, the Devils have excelled in penalty killing, successfully thwarting 3-of-3 attempts on Saturday, raising their season tally to 19 out of 20.

“Once you get on a roll, you gain a lot of confidence,” remarked Connor Brown, who netted a short-handed goal on Saturday. “We’re fortunate to have experienced players in penalty-killing roles who communicate effectively with each other and the coach.”

Jake Allen is set to start in goal for the Devils on Tuesday, with Nico Daws taking over for Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Wild.

Forward Stefan Noesen, who has been sidelined with a groin injury, participated in practice on Monday. While he’s ruled out for Tuesday, potential participation on Wednesday is possible, according to Keefe.

Field Level Media

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text.