They came into the season as the most disrespected Stanley Cup finalist in modern NHL history.
Nobody, but nobody looked at the New Jersey Devils when the NHL and union finally worked out their differences and imagined they would be a serious Stanley Cup contender.
No matter that the Devils were the class of the Eastern Conference last season and battled the Los Angeles Kings hard before falling in the Cup final.
All that seemed to matter was that Zach Parise was gone, Martin Brodeur was old and how could a team with Bryce Salvador as captain scare anybody.
Well, scaring the rest of the league is what the Devils are doing. Again. Like always.
Never the sexy choice, the remarkable kingdom that Lou Lamoriello built is 8-1-3 out of the gate after sweeping the Pittsburgh Penguins on the weekend.
Chicago's Blackhawks have been better than anyone so far, but that was, if not expected, a possibility anticipated by many.
The Devils? Dismissed as a fluke Cup finalist a year ago. Yet while the 28th-place Kings flounder in the west with only three wins, Brodeur and the Devils just take care of business as always.
Even with Travis Zajac, he of the eight-year, $46 million contract extension, struggling along with only three points so far, New Jersey continues to be more than the sum of its parts. Missing Parise? Not yet, although Parise is off to a solid start in the Twin Cities with six goals.
How do the Devils do it? Super scout David Conte never stops finding players who are good to play with and hard to play against, while Lamoriello, regardless of who is coaching the team, insists on a team-first philosophy and never, ever wavers.
Only three teams have allowed fewer goals this season, with Brodeur ageless with a 2.29 goals-against average and solid .911 save percentage, and eminently affordable at $4.5 million per season (15th among NHL goalies. David Clarkson has nine goals and is slowly but surely inching his way into Canadian Olympic team consideration.
Sprinkle in a little Stefan Matteau here, a little Bobby Butler there, and you have the Devils, always underestimated, just the way they like it.
The New Jersey Devils lost Zach Parise for nothing and we were quick to write them off. Boy, do we look dumb.
"Part of it is the history of the organization," Devils head coach Peter DeBoer said minutes after the defending Eastern Conference champions finished a weekend sweep of the the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"They've done this a half-dozen times and the mandate is always the same: fill the holes as best you can and continue moving forward. It's not even an option to feel sorry for yourself.
"One thing about the Devils, there are no irreplaceable parts. We do it by committee."
Since 2000, they've lost Scott Gomez, Bobby Holik, Alexander Mogilny, Scott Niedermayer, Brian Rafalski and Parise to free agency (Don't forget Scott Stevens to retirement, too).
There were dry years, though, by New Jersey's standards. After winning their third Stanley Cup, the Devils won just two post-season series between 2004 and 2010 and missed the playoffs in 2011. DeBoer's first season was a rousing success, getting within two wins of another Cup conquest, but when Parise walked, many of us thought fun time was over.
A coach, however, is expected to believe otherwise.
"We had a lot of guys step up [last season] and I thought it was big enough of a sample size ... that it was not a fluke," DeBoer said. "We could do it again, build on it."
Unlike the Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames or Winnipeg Jets -- all making systemic changes without the benefit of a lengthy training camp or exhibition games -- DeBoer knew how his players in New Jersey were going to play.
"My biggest concern was that not too many of our guys played during the break," the coach said. "But I had a good feeling two or three games in.
"One advantage I really felt was our systems were in place. We played into late June and I didn't think it would take long to get back to a good level.
"With the schedule, we've had one practice in 16 days. Because of that foundation, we've been able to survive."
A little motivation didn't hurt, either.
"I think a lot of people felt we didn't belong [in the Stanley Cup final] or we were a fluke," DeBoer said. "These guys all read, they know where people picked us to finish.
"They're a proud group. They want to show last year wasn't an accident."
30 THOUGHTS
1. While David Clarkson, tied for second in the NHL with nine goals, moved up to a top-six forward position, Parise's coveted spot alongside Ilya Kovalchuk and Travis Zajac went to 18-year-old Stefan Matteau, a second-generation NHLer. Matteau only plays at even strength, but hasn't looked out of place. "He's got a confidence to him a lot of junior age kids don't have," DeBoer said. "Many of them have that 'deer in the headlights' look; just overwhelmed. With him, there's no intimidation. Being around NHL players for a long time is a big help."
2. The extra half-season "vacation" may have extended the life of New Jersey's 79-year-old, two-headed goaltending monster (Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg). "I'll be the first one trying to convince those guys to keep playing," DeBoer laughed.
5. There's a lot of angst in Minnesota about the Wild's 5-5-1 start. After the free-agent bonanza, several opponents said Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher's biggest challenge would be managing expectations. While Parise and Ryan Suter are big upgrades, the roster has holes. The organization is stocked with talented youth, but in different stages of development. "They will not be a contender until their young players are ready," said one executive. "But that will be hard for ownership to hear."
6. A scout had an interesting take on the Wild: "Parise is an aggressive, attacking player. This is an organization without much of a history playing that way. He's playing very well. But they're going to have to get used to each other."
jedna radosť čítať. Konečne niekto, konečne.
on je neskutočný. Zajtra by som bral aj bod všetkými desiatimi, ale myslím, že tam bude horúco nevadí hlavne, že dneska dostali. No a ešte som zabudoval pogratulovať Matteauovi k jeho prvému gólu v NHL 
aj tak to bol offside, ale predsa. haha
jedna radosť čítať. Konečne niekto, konečne.
za 4 a 7me kolo. ono som dnes dufal, ze rano najdem info o trejde za kridlo. vsetko tomu nasvedcovalo, prichod loktionova, jeho vcerajsie povolanie a 2 dni volna bez zapasu. sice som cakal uplne iny typ trejdu 
kazdopadne vzhladom k stavu zubrusa ( po zakroku sa uvidi ako dlho bude out, vraj niekde medzi 2-8 weeks) je to vyborna posila. ponik pozna system, hracov, prostredie, hraval oslabovky a za ten cas sa stal aj oblubencom fanusikov. takze parada.
či vyhráte. 
kovy síce nedáva góly, ale jeho prínos pre našu hru je neuveriteľný to je úplne ale úplne iný kovy ako ten, ktorý k nám prišiel z ATL. Clarkie jedna báseň to neni o čom, tak isto patty už je v top 10 bodovania. Dobre Larsson IT okolo 20 minút a 3 plusky, Green dokonca 4 takže hýrim spokojnousťou. Pony naskočil do rozbehnutého vlaku vo veľkom štýle aj toto ti megaton vyšlo 
Korčuľa obrancu, ktorý stratil rovnováhu ho porezala tesne nad sánkou. Ťažko povedať, či sa to vôbec dá nazvať šťastím v nešťastí, keď na zošitie prudko krvácajúcej rany potreboval celkovo až 133 stehov a dnes podstúpi zákrok u plastického chirurga.
strašné. Chudák Teddy, na chudobného i budár spadne. 
toto sa na Flyera nepodobá. Žeby dostal PR výcvik? 
Teddy by mal byť v poriadku, skoro sa však na ľad nepozrie. Jeho #21 dostal práve Loki. Ten pred príchodom Gagneho nosil u Kings #12.
) prehrali sme s ottawou za ktorú nehrali ich najväčšie opory a to hovorí za všetko...a ešte megaton 2. kolo za tallindera by som bral všetkými desiatimi 