Last season http://www.washingtonredskinsteamonline.com/adrian-peterson-jersey , the Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils were two of the biggest surprises in the National Hockey League, each ending droughts by reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs.Neither team is going to sneak up on anyone this season, yet both are off to strong starts heading into their first meeting of 2018-19 on Thursday night at Prudential Center.The Devils (4-0-0) are the only NHL team not to have lost a game so far. The Avalanche (3-1-2) are playing well despite losing two straight.Article continues below ...“It’s a challenge playing these guys,” Devils center Brian Boyle said. “They’re a lot like us — young, fast, hungry. It should be a good game.”New Jersey is outscoring the opposition by a dominating 17-4 through four games. Goalie Keith Kinkaid already has two shutouts, including Tuesday’s 3-0 win over the Dallas Stars, and he owns a sparkling .961 save percentage to go along with a 1.00 goals-against average.“He’s just taken that net and owned every part of it,” Devils defenseman Will Butcher told the team’s website. “He’s taken a huge step in his game.”Kinkaid is not alone, though, in the Devils’ early-season success. Kyle Palmieri scored the opening goal in all four games this season, and has seven through four games. Jean-Sebastien Dea has three goals in four games.Eight players have three points or more, including four defensemen. The team has killed off 13 of 14 penalties and is perfect the last 13 times short-handed.“It’s fun to come to the rink right now,” Palmieri said. “The team’s in a good mood, and we’re happy with the way we’re playing. We’re beating some really good teams, so Authentic D.J. Swearinger SR Jersey , hopefully, we just keep that going.”New Jersey is rolling even though reigning Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall is without a goal through four games — though he does have four assists. Certainly, the Avalanche and their top player, Nathan MacKinnon, will be aware of Hall on the ice.Last year, MacKinnon was runner-up to Hall for the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player. Both players scored 39 goals, and MacKinnon had 97 points to Hall’s 93.MacKinnon picked up this year where he left off. He has seven goals already and established a franchise record with goals in each of the first six games of the season after scoring in the second period of Tuesday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the New York Rangers.“I’d like to get a few more assists actually, but it’s been nice, the puck is going in for me,” MacKinnon told the Avalanche website.Mackinnon’s linemate, Mikko Rantanen, also has at least one point in each game so far. Rantanen’s eight assists and nine points both are team highs.“You need to have chemistry to be successful, and Mikko and I have lots of chemistry,” MacKinnon said. “He’s a big guy, slows the game down, and I like to speed it up. We complement each other really well.”The Avalanche might receive a boost Thursday as it appears Sven Andrighetto will play in his first game of the season. He suffered a leg injury during the preseason but practiced fully on Wednesday.“He is going to be available for us (Thursday) D.J. Swearinger SR Jersey Elite ,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “I think he looks quick, he is in really good shape. He has done a lot of hard work since he’s been out and I’m excited to have a guy like him available again, adds some skill and some speed to our lineup.”Semyon Varlamov, who was sensational in making 41 saves against the Rangers, will get the night off Thursday and Philipp Grubauer makes his second start of the season in goal.Last season, the Devils won both games with the Avalanche, outscoring them by a combined 6-2. Butcher had three assists in the season series against the team that originally drafted him. The 55 in-season NHL coaching changes since beginning of salary cap era in 2005:2005-06New York Islanders replaced Steve Stirling with Brad Shaw, missed playoffsNew Jersey Devils replaced resigning Larry Robinson with Lou Lamoriello, made playoffsPittsburgh Penguins replaced Ed Olczyk with Michel Therrien, missed playoffsLos Angeles Kings replaced John Torchetti with Andy Murray, missed playoffsMontreal Canadiens replaced Claude Julien with Bob Gainey, made playoffs2006-07Chicago Blackhawks replaced Trent Yawney with Denis Savard, missed playoffsSt. Louis Blues replaced Mike Kitchen with Andy Murray, missed playoffsPhiladelphia Flyers replaced Ken Hitchcock with John Stevens, missed playoffsColumbus Blue Jackets replaced Gerard Gallant with Ken Hitchcock, missed playoffsNew Jersey Devils replaced Claude Julien with Lou Lamoriello http://www.washingtonredskinsteamonline.com/d.j.-swearinger-jersey , made playoffs2007-08Washington Capitals replaced Glen Hanlon with Bruce Boudreau, made playoffsAtlanta Thrashers replaced Bob Hartley with Don Waddell, missed playoffsOttawa Senators replaced John Paddock with Bryan Murray, made playoffs2008-09Chicago Blackhawks replaced Denis Savard with Joel Quenneville, made playoffsCarolina Hurricanes replaced Peter Laviolette with Paul Maurice, made playoffsMontreal Canadiens replaced Guy Carbonneau with Bob Gainey, made playoffsOttawa Senators replaced Craig Hartsburg with Cory Clouston, missed playoffsTampa Bay Lightning replaced Barry Melrose with Rick Tocchet, missed playoffsNew York Rangers replaced Tom Renney with John Tortorella, made playoffsPittsburgh Penguins replaced Michel Therrien with Dan Bylsma, won Stanley Cup2009-10Columbus Blue Jackets replaced Ken Hitchcock with Claude Noel, missed playoffsSt. Louis Blues replaced Andy Murray with Davis Payne, missed playoffsPhiladelphia Flyers replaced John Stevens with Peter Laviolette, made playoffs2010-11New York Islanders replaced Scott Gordon with Jack Capuano, missed playoffsNew Jersey Devils replaced John MacLean with Jacques Lemaire, missed playoffs2011-12St. Louis Blues replaced Davis Payne with Ken Hitchcock Carolina Hurricanes Hoodies Womens , made playoffsWashington Capitals replaced Bruce Boudreau with Dale Hunter, made playoffsAnaheim Ducks replaced Randy Carlyle with Bruce Boudreau, missed playoffsCarolina Hurricanes replaced Paul Maurice with Kirk Muller, missed playoffsColumbus Blue Jackets replaced Scott Arniel with Todd Richards, missed playoffsMontreal Canadiens replaced Jacques Martin with Randy Cunneyworth, missed playoffsLos Angeles Kings replaced Andy Murray with Darryl Sutter, won Stanley CupToronto Maple Leafs replaced Ron Wilson with Randy Carlyle, missed playoffs2013Buffalo Sabres replaced Lindy Ruff with Ron Rolston, missed playoffsTampa Bay Lightning replaced Guy Boucher with Jon Cooper, missed playoffs2013-14Philadelphia Flyers replaced Peter Laviolette with Craig Berube, made playoffsWinnipeg Jets replaced Claude Noel with Paul Maurice, missed playoffsBuffalo Sabres replaced Ron Rolston with Ted Nolan, missed playoffsFlorida Panthers replaced Kevin Dineen with Peter Horachek, missed playoffs2014-15Edmonton Oilers replaced Dallas Eakins with Todd Nelson, missed playoffsOttawa Senators replaced Paul McLean with Dave Cameron, made playoffsNew Jersey Devils replaced Peter DeBoer with Lou Lamoriello/Scott Stevens/Adam Oates Carolina Hurricanes Hats Womens , miss playoffsToronto Maple Leafs replaced Randy Carlyle with Peter Horachek, missed playoffs2015-16Columbus Blue Jackets replaced Todd Richardson with John Tortorella, missed playoffsPittsburgh Penguins replaced Mike Johnston with Mike Sullivan, won Stanley CupMinnesota Wild replaced Mike Yeo with John Torchetti, made playoffs2016-17Florida Panthers replaced Gerard Gallant with Tom Rowe, missed playoffsBoston Bruins replaced Claude Julien with Bruce Cassidy, made playoffsMontreal Canadiens replaced Michel Therrien with Claude Julien, made playoffsSt. Louis Blues replaced Ken Hitchcock with Mike Yeo, made playoffsNew York Islanders replaced Jack Capuano with Doug Weight, missed playoffs2018-19Los Angeles Kings replaced John Stevens with Willie DesjardinsChicago Blackhawks replaced Joel Quenneville with Jeremy CollinSt. Louis Blues replaced Mike Yeo with Craig BerubeEdmonton Oilers replaced Todd McLellan with Ken Hitchcock