When the New Jersey Devils hired new head coach John Hynes in the summer of 2015, he and general manager Ray Shero painted the picture of a different type of Devils team.



While they would uphold some of the franchise's traditions from its days with Lou Lamoriello in charge, the on-ice product would be faster, adapting to the trends of today's NHL, Shero said.



Watching the Devils now is an entirely different viewing an experience than say, three seasons ago. Shero and Co. have assembled a personnel group that can play at a higher pace, and put pressure on the opposing team simply with its skating ability.



Perhaps no player personifies that on a regular basis more than Taylor Hall, who has flourished offensively this season with his skate fully on the throttle. But it's also one of the forwards riding shotgun with Hall who has really helped him in a big way.



For the majority of his deployment, Hall has been centered by rookie Nico Hischier; entering...