The Edmonton Oilers are tough to beat. They are 11-2-3 and lead the Pacific Division. Yet, the New Jersey Devils beat them 4-3 in a shootout, with both teams displaying plenty of skill and offense but the Devils having the edge. “They’ve got good skill; they track like we do,” Oilers head coach Mike Babcock stated after the game, adding, “We knew what we were getting ourselves into. I’ll give them credit, they’ve got good players, and they played hard.” 

It’s early in the season, and a lot can change. However, the Devils have put together a few measuring-stick victories. “You look at what we’ve gone up against here in these last four games. There are some other juggernauts in the Western Conference, but those are four pretty darn good teams we’ve had to play against,” head coach Sheldon Keefe noted after the recent win over the Oilers. 

They defeated an Oilers team that entered the night 7-0 on the road. Not only did they prove they beat the best in the league, but throughout the season, they’ve shown they can win in multiple ways.

The Oilers are a good team and better on the road, with a 7-0-1 record following their shootout loss. For a team known for skill, the simple road game brings out the best in them. “I think it’s that simple road game. I think that’s the blueprint of our identity and what we’re gonna be,” Jason Dickinson noted after the loss. 

With Mike Babcock as their coach, they’ve been a complete team yet still lean on their skill to take over games. It almost did, with the Oilers trailing 3-1 and tying the game to force overtime thanks to goals from Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. It’s why the Oilers, who won the Western Conference in 2024 and 2025, are once again a Cup-or-bust team.

The Devils not only went toe-to-toe with the Oilers, but they also controlled play. They won the shot battle 34-21 and limited Connor McDavid, who leads the league with 40 points in 16 games, to only one assist.

It’s not the first statement win of the season. The 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 20, the 5-1 drubbing of the Dallas Stars on Oct. 27, and the 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 30 also stood out. The win against the Oilers once again proved that they can beat the best teams in the league and do so with their offense leading the way. 

The Devils needed their offense to deliver. To beat an Oilers team that averages 4.20 goals per game, they had to find the back of the net a few times and win a shootout. They also needed their power play, which was a weak link heading into the game, to wake up and take advantage of the man advantage. 

The power play scored two of their three goals in regulation and looked a lot like the skilled unit that stepped up in previous seasons. With Connor Brown playing on the top power-play unit, the Devils added another forward who could score in the net front, which he did, and open things up for the skilled forwards, which is how Jack Hughes scored his second goal of the game. 

The offense and power play delivered, and, more importantly, the Devils stuck to their game plan despite allowing the first goal. In the past, they’ve struggled when trailing, often chasing the game and playing out of position as a result. 

“We just have a real good confidence in ourselves and our game right now,” Keefe stated after the win, and it’s reflected in their ability to rebound after allowing goals. They were unfazed after allowing the first goal and controlled the play afterwards, especially in the second period when they built up a 3-1 lead. 

The Devils have had strong starts in the past, where they’ve had a great first month or even two strong months but hit a wall and struggled down the stretch. The way they’ve played indicates that this season is different. Aside from being a cohesive group, the Devils are getting more from their depth and the entirety of their roster, from offense in the bottom six to the second and third pairs on defense stepping up. 

It makes the 10-5 start, where they have the second-best record in the Metropolitan Division, a convincing argument that they are one of the best in the Eastern Conference. It also helps that this time around, they have Connor Hellebuyck in the net, a goaltender who can give them an extra save or the edge in the net on most nights.

Hellebuyck allows the Devils to play with more confidence. Plus, his presence forces the opponent to adjust and often work harder for their goals. “He’s a big, solid goaltender who reads the play well. He’s athletic, all the things a goalie needs to be; he has it,” Oilers forward Jason Dickinson noted after the game. 

The three-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender forces teams to pivot in the offensive zone and change how they generate scoring chances and shots on net. “You gotta find ways to make him move a bit more than he wants to, get in his eyes to make him fight to see more pucks, and make his night harder for him,” Dickinson added. 

The Devils have gotten off to a hot start. However, they are building towards a successful season and have their eyes set on making the playoffs and being a team that can win in a playoff matchup. The Oilers are the type of team they’ll face in a playoff series, and they handled the test on Tuesday night.