It was a matter of time before the New Jersey Devils got their wake-up call. After winning four straight and six of their last seven, they were due for a loss, and they came out flat. 

The Colorado Avalanche were ready, a team that’s off to a slow start and eager to even up the score from the 4-3 loss eight days ago. The Avalanche came out hot and overwhelmed the Devils with a 5-2 final where they generated 44 shots on the net. 

With that loss, the Devils' streak came to an end. They hope the latest loss doesn’t become a habit and instead, the hot streak is something they can build on. It provided plenty of optimism for the season and for how the Devils can finish as one of the league’s top teams. 

The hot streak showed how talented Arseny Gritsyuk is. He was moved to the Jack Hughes line before the Devils played the Detroit Red Wings and made an immediate impact, including a five-game goal streak that started in the 7-1 win over the New York Rangers and went until the 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. 

Gritsyuk looked more confident and was in the right positions, as a great skater with plenty of skill. As someone who can constantly find the back of the net, he will be a key part of the Devils' success. The change has unlocked Gritsyuk, who has six goals and four assists this season, and has allowed the line to play at another level.

The Devils have searched for this type of player to round out that scoring line. Hughes and Jasper Bratt have been a great tandem, but they’ve struggled to find the winger to play alongside them. Now they have one in Gritsyuk, who can keep up with them on rushes and add another scoring touch. 

The Connor Hellebuyck trade is the big story of the week. Even during the winning streak, the attention shifted to the star goaltender and the blockbuster trade, especially once the trade was official on Oct. 23. With Hellebuyck, the question is what the ceiling for this team is.

While the trade was in the works, Jake Allen was still the primary starter and was putting together strong starts. He stopped 31 of 34 shots in the Oct. 20 win over the Avalanche and stepped up against the Kings in a 3-1 win, saving 12 of the 13 shots he faced. 

As Hellebuyck acclimates to the regular season grind after missing training camp, he’ll start more games. That said, Allen has shown he can be more than a backup. He’s a veteran who can be a starter if needed. It allows the Devils to keep Hellebuyck fresh and not overwork him while also giving them reliable goaltending for the rest of the season. 

The most impressive part of the winning streak is the defense. The Devils allowed only six goals in four games and, more importantly, limited the shots on net. It allowed Allen and Nico Daws, before he was traded, to put together a handful of strong starts.

The improvements happened largely because the defense protected the net front. They’ve bought into head coach Sheldon Keefe’s system and are skating into position. It also helped that the forwards stepped up defensively, whether it was Gritsyuk skating back on the play or Nico Hischier setting the tone as a two-way center. 

Moreover, the defense pairings are coming together. The Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce duo looks like a top-pair option while Brenden Dillon, Johnathan Kovacevic, and Dougie Hamilton have added depth. It’s given the Devils a defense that can win them games if needed. 

When Anthony Mantha joined the Evan Rodrigues line, as part of the swap that moved Gritsyuk to the Hughes line, it gave the Devils a third line that could do it all. Sure, Mantha isn’t a great skater, but he doesn’t have to be. Instead, when he’s playing alongside Rodrigues, he checks, defends, and still adds a scoring touch. 

Likewise, the fourth line has come into its own lately. Cody Glass and Connor Brown have given the Devils a reliable checking line, but much like the third line, it has a scoring touch as well. Likewise, the two forwards have delivered on the penalty kill, notably with Brown scoring a shorthanded goal in the 5-2 loss to the Avalanche. 

The Devils knew their top six would be great. However, they were striving for four forward lines that could overwhelm teams and make them tough to play against, and now they have them. The teams that go on to compete for the Stanley Cup, especially in recent seasons, have four lines that can overwhelm teams whether it's the Carolina Hurricanes or the Florida Panthers. It’s what makes this team exciting in the big picture.