Last season Adidas Greg Pateryn 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 Adidas Andrew Hammond Jersey , and we’re happy with the way we’re playing. We’re beating some really good teams, so, 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 Adidas Matt Bartkowski Jersey , 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),” 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. ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — In their first year under new coach Rod Brind’Amour, the Carolina Hurricanes are using their youth and speed to wear out opponents.They started by outshooting Minnesota 20-5 in the first period Saturday. After a back-and-forth third period, Carolina showed off its stamina Adidas J.T. Brown Jersey , too.Sebastian Aho scored his second goal of the game in overtime to lift Carolina over the Wild 5-4 on Saturday night.“The message has been pretty clear from Day 1, and I think they’ve been doing what we’ve asked, or they’re trying to, and I think they see that it’s a fun way to play,” Brind’Amour said. “But it’s also a way that can have outcomes like tonight where we can come back.”Justin Williams tied the game for Carolina with 1:09 left in the third period, and the Hurricanes matched the best five-game start in franchise history by tying the 4-0-1 Hartford Whalers in 1995-96.Aho added an assist while running his point streak to five games. Jordan Staal and Brett Pesce also scored for the Hurricanes. Curtis McElhinney made 19 saves as Carolina outshot Minnesota 57-23 and survived a third-period frenzy in which the Wild rallied to twice take a one-goal lead.The Hurricanes entered the game averaging 38.5 shots per game, second in the NHL. Their 4.25 goals per game coming in was tied for sixth after they were 23rd in the league last season.“To be down twice in the third period, that’s tough, and maybe that’s something that last year or the year before, maybe we would’ve just wilted and packed it in and said ‘All right, good try,'” Williams said. “But our power play showed up and we scored one late. So, a really good win that we would’ve been upset if we lost.”Devan Dubnyk stopped 52 shots for Minnesota and Jason Zucker scored his 100th career goal and third in the past two games. Charlie Coyle, Jared Spurgeon and Mikael Granlund also scored for the Wild Adidas Adam Pelech Jersey , who played their third consecutive overtime game.“In a realistic world, you’re happy you got a point out of that,” Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said. “If it wasn’t for Devan Dubnyk; he’s been our No. 1 star in all four games that he’s played.”Dubnyk’s work allowed Minnesota the chance to recover in the third. It’s the second game this season and 14th time in his career he’s made at least 40 saves in game. He’s 10-1-3 in those contests.Staal opened the scoring midway through the first with his fourth goal, the only tally in the first for Carolina despite the shot advantage and a pair of power-plays, including a 5-on-3 situation. Coyle’s first goal of the season tied the game through one period.“We’re horrible in the first period right now, and that’s myself included, that’s everybody,” Zucker said. “We got to be better. We got to fix it.”Pesce redirected Aho’s shot for the only goal in the second as Carolina entered the third leading 2-1.Spurgeon tied it with his first goal of the season just 1:20 into the third period, Zucker scored just over four minutes later and Granlund added his first of the season with 4:13 left in the game.Aho’s first goal erased the first lead from Zucker’s goal.“I think it tells something about us, coming back twice and get the win,” Aho said. “Also our (power play) has been bad all year and we haven’t scored, and when we need it most, we score. It feels good.”The Hurricanes were 1 of 9 on the power play Saturday after entering the game 1 of 10 for the season.NOTES: Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau said F Joel Eriksson Ek has a lower-body injury and will miss a week. … Matt Hendricks was back in the lineup for the Wild after being scratched for one game. … Minnesota is 10-3-4 in its last 17 games against Carolina. … Aho has four goals and five assists during his point streak. Hurricanes F Teuvo Teravainen has points in four straight games. … McIlhenny became the first Carolina goaltender to win his first three starts with the team since Justin Peters in 2010.UP NEXTHurricanes: Finish a back-to-back set at Winnipeg on Sunday.Wild: Travel to Nashville on Monday.