The Devils have gone on a nice roll during the past month, winning six of their last seven games and eight of their past 10. When the Devils are frequent victors, star netminder Martin Brodeur is usually the reason; true to form, he has given up only 17 goals in the 10 games, and his stats for the season (12–6 record, .913 save percentage, 2.42 goals-against average) again put him among the league’s best goaltenders.

But when evaluating Brodeur’s supporting cast, there are some intriguing surprises. For one, Patrik Elias, Brian Gionta, and Scott Gomez are not on the team’s most effective scoring line. Last season, the Devils’ offense came and went with the performances of those three men, with Gomez the playmaker and Gionta and Elias the finishers on what was one of the NHL’s most dominant scoring lines.

Gionta finished last season with a Devils’ team record 48 goals, while Gomez added goal scoring (a career-best 33) to his repertoire. Elias, though he missed the first half of the season while recovering from hepatitis A, still managed to score 45 points in 38 games.

But the trio has struggled badly this season, taking a giant step backward that contrasts sharply with the Devils’ otherwise strong start. Gomez has been plagued by a groin strain that has forced him to miss eight games (including the last seven in a row). Without question Gomez is the Devils’ finest passer, and his absence significantly harms the production of Elias and Gionta, who are unable to benefit from his deft setups.

Elias has taken over for the retired Scott Stevens as team captain, and he’s chafed a bit under the pressure. Whereas Elias typically produces at a point-agame pace and finishes with a positive plus-minus rating, he has struggled badly through the season’s first quarter, tallying only 13 points in 19 games to go along with a team-worst minus-9 rating.

To be fair, the hardworking Gionta has been moderately productive (eight goals in 19 games, including four on the power play); but without Elias and Gomez alongside him, he is no longer a threat to finish among the league’s leading goal-scorers.

Instead, a new line has cropped up for the Devils and emerged as their go-to offensive threat. Sophomore Zach Parise and rookie Travis Zajac have developed some great chemistry playing alongside veteran winger Jamie Langenbrunner, and the results have been quite impressive. While Zajac has demonstrated defensive responsibility (plus-6) that belies his limited experience, Parise and Langenbrunner have absolutely exploded offensively since being placed alongside the rookie.

A recent import from the University of North Dakota, Zajac is proving to be yet another example of New Jersey’s stellar scouting work, led by the incomparable David Conte. As one of the league’s most successful teams during the past decade, the Devils have consistently been forced to make their firstround picks after most of the rest of the league has already gone, yet they have always managed to uncover hidden gems. In Zajac, they’ve apparently found another. His responsibilities have increased with each game, and he’s rapidly emerging as one of the team’s best forwards.

Similarly, Parise (another product of the University of North Dakota) has emerged as the Devils’ leading scorer, with 18 points in 19 games. The team’s first-round pick in 2003, the diminutive Parise was foolishly bypassed by a number of other teams (including the Rangers) due to his lack of size. There was no question whatsoever about Parise’s character or skill level, but in the size-obsessed pre-lockout NHL, Parise slipped all the way down to the 17th spot. Perhaps it’s simply another example of GM Lou Lamoriello’s foresight, but Parise has turned out to be the prototypical player for the modern NHL: speedy, creative, and perhaps most importantly of all, a tireless worker.

On Friday night against the Ottawa Senators, the three players combined for nine points and all three Devils goals in a 3–2 victory. On Saturday, Langenbrunner scored the first goal (assisted by Parise) in the Devils’ 2–1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Langenbrunner has tallied six points in the Devils’ last four games, while Parise has scored 12 points to lead the team during the 8–2 run that has enabled them to surge to the top of the Atlantic Division.

Judging from the way this line is playing — and in particular, how effective Parise has been as its catalyst — there is good reason to believe that they will continue to be a reliable source of offensive production as the season progresses. When Gomez makes his inevitable return from his groin injury, it’s probable that their first line will rediscover its typically devastating form.

For the Devils’ division rivals, this news couldn’t be worse. For in sharp contrast to the Flyers, whose attempt to rebuild in midstream resulted in a fiery crash, the Devils have managed to retool as a perennial Cup contender gracefully and easily. Lamoriello has inserted additional youth into key positions on an annual basis, and his team remains the class of the Atlantic Division.

In a league where the teams are all so closely matched thanks to the salary cap, Brodeur is a difference-maker who can turn the tide of a playoff series, and perhaps even a postseason. If this Devils team continues on its current trajectory, they will once again be a formidable presence when winter breaks and the NHL’s second season begins.

Mr. Greenstein is the editor in chief of InsideHockey.com.