Devils Stat Attack: This Team Might Be Good

Twenty games is a key benchmark for NHL teams, and all signs point to the New Jersey Devils having a good team through 20 games.

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It may only be Nov. 16, but amazingly, the New Jersey Devils will play their 21st game of 2024-25 tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. As promised, we'll do a written Stat Attack every ten games, so here's our next edition.

Things have changed for the Devils since our first written Stat Attack, and in a good way. What's improved, both individually and on a team level? And what do the Devils still need to work on?

Devils Goaltending Has Come Around

When we assessed the Devils at ten games, their goaltending was perhaps the most significant concern. As a refresher, here's what Jacob Markström's stats looked like at the team's ten-game mark:

• Save percentage: .891

• Goals Saved Above Expected: -2.9

• High-danger SV%: .745

There's still another level to Markström's game that we haven't seen yet, but he is turning it around. His overall SV% sits at .908, which is now well above the league average, and he's allowed 33 goals on 33.29 expected goals, so he's stopping what's expected of him.

Meanwhile, Jake Allen has been one of the best 1Bs in the NHL. He has an overall SV% of .916 and has saved 4.33 goals above expected, while his high-danger SV% of .868 ranks seventh in the NHL (min. 150 minutes played).

The Devils now have a team SV% of .906, which ranks in the top ten of the NHL. With save percentages falling to nearly 30-year lows, the Devils will be perfectly fine if Markström and Allen keep their team SV% in the .905 to .910 range.

Devils Improving at 5-on-5

The Devils were a fine enough five-on-five team at the ten-game mark, but that's also improved over the last ten games. Their five-on-five expected goals share (xG%) of 50.17 percent has increased to 51.53 percent.

Over the last ten games, the Devils have an xG% of 53.14 percent, and their team defense has been excellent. They're allowing just 2.2 expected goals per 60 minutes over their last ten games, one of the best rates in the NHL.

They're not the high-flying run-and-gun team they were under Lindy Ruff, but that's perfectly fine. The Devils' offense is still solid, as they're averaging 2.56 expected goals per 60 at five-on-five.