Courtesy of @PKSubban1

Newark, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils didn’t have much to celebrate after last Monday’s 6–4 loss to the Florida Panthers.

New Jersey was winless in six games. They blew leads in three of them. The fanbase was growing ravenous, calling for immediate change. Tensions were mounting.

But instead of going their separate ways for the night, the team decided to take advantage of their free evening following an early afternoon game. One guy turned to another and made dinner plans. A few more teammates jumped on board. All of a sudden, a large chunk of the Devils’ roster planned to convene for dinner at a Manhattan steakhouse later that night.

“I think everybody just wanted to get together,” said Devils defenseman P.K. Subban. “It was an opportunity to have a nice dinner at a great restaurant in New York and just let our hair down and relax a little bit.”

Afterward, Subban posted a picture of the gathering with the caption “Family sticks together.”

“The only way you’re going to get out of a slump is with the guys in the room,” said Devils goalie Mackenzie Blackwood. “The tighter knit you are with these guys, the more you’re going to battle for the guy next to you.”

While strong chemistry can appear in many different forms, the Devils have made a habit of protecting each other on the ice. On Opening Night against the Jets, John Hayden delivered a bone-crushing hit on Winnipeg’s Matthieu Perreault in retaliation to Jack Hughes being checked into the Jets’ bench.

Because of that willingness to “battle for the guy next to you,” New Jersey has strung together a two-game winning streak, collecting back-to-back wins against the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks. The chemistry of this team is finally starting to translate into positive play on the ice, an inevitability for a tight unit.

And during New Jersey’s victory over Vancouver, it became even more apparent how willing this group was to sacrifice their bodies for one another.

Early in the second period, Subban drew a tripping penalty after taking a nasty hit from Canucks center Tim Schaller. Immediately after the whistle blew, Devils forward Kevin Rooney skated over, gave Schaller a shove, grabbed his jersey and got in his face.

As the game drew further, Devils winger Blake Coleman took an errant high stick to the face from Vancouver’s Alexander Edler. While Coleman gathered himself, Devils defenseman Mirco Mueller tackled Edler from behind and a brawl broke out in the nearby crease in front of the Canucks’ goal. At the center of the scrum, Mueller then grabbed Canucks center Brandon Sutter’s jersey and started throwing punches before taking him down to the ice.

Whether it was intentional or not, Mueller still left no doubt defending his teammate, a move Devils legend and color commentator Ken Daneyko endorsed on the broadcast.

As Devils forward Wayne Simmonds took the ice for the following shift, he skated right over to the penalty box where Mueller was serving his sentence to show his appreciation, banging on the glass and yelling “Let’s Go!”

“The guys in this room have a great deal of respect for [Simmonds] and just to see him coming over like that for [Mueller] is pretty special,” Rooney said.

After the game, Devils coach John Hynes spoke to the need for balance and discipline when it comes to taking penalties, but also praised Mueller’s passion.

“Those are little things that bring a team together,” Hynes said. “They spark emotion, especially when you’re at home in your own building.”

Although the trust of this group came alive in New Jersey’s most recent contest, it’s no response to an early-season slump. It’s been building since camp. From the team trip to the Naval Academy to now, Hayden says “they’ve been [bonding off the ice] consistently.”

And as New Jersey dives deeper into the NHL season, the bonds will only grow stronger. For the Devils to continue to build momentum and fight for a potential playoff spot down the road, they’ll have to double down on their trust as a group.

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For more New Jersey Devils coverage, you can follow Justin Birnbaum on Twitter here.

This story is part of a running series of spillover content from The Fischler Report, the longest-running hockey journal in its 27th year of publication. To inquire about subscriptions, please email FischlerReport@gmail.com.