Devils announce full 2014 pre-season schedule

The 2014 New Jersey Devils preseason schedule is set with six games – all vs. Metropolitan Division opposition – and includes three home games, two road matches, and one neutral-site road contest.

MONDAY, SEPT. 22 @NY RANGERS @ MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, 7 p.m.
THURSDAY,  SEPT. 25 @ PHILLY @ WELLS FARGO CENTER, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 26 @ NY ISLANDERS @ BARCLAYS CENTER, 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 28, PHILLY @ PRUDENTIAL CENTER, 7 p.m.
THURSDAY, OCT. 2, NY ISLANDERS@ PRUDENTIAL CENTER, 7 p.m.
SATURDAY, OCT. 4, NY RANGERS @ PRUDENTIAL CENTER, 7 p.m.

This could be a telling few days for our Devils with 2 games coming up this weekend against red-hot Penguins

So the Devils have won three in a row. 

And now, a huge character test is upon them.

The next two games will be against Pittsburgh — at home Saturday (1 p.m. — weather permitting) and on the road Sunday (7:30 p.m. on NBCSN).

The Devs' first trip to Pittsburgh last week was ugly, but they've bounced back nicely since. A split would be nice — but a two-game sweep would speak volumes about this team, a team that has already shut up every critic who picked them to finish anywhere from 9th to 13th in the Eastern Conference.

Also coming up in the next few weeks is something very rare.

The Devils will play two-straight games in Washington —Thursday, Feb. 21 and Saturday, Feb. 23. I honestly cannot remember a time in the regular season when the Devils played the same team in the same building for two in a row. I understand it's not unprecedented — happened in San Jose a few years back (thanks to Vin Witel for the tip on that one).

The Devils will also play the Islanders for the fourth time on Feb. 16, before they've played Ottawa, Jets, Sabres, Leafs or Panthers for the first time.