The New Jersey Devils (9-4-0), coming off a win in Los Angeles on Saturday, fell short against the Anaheim Ducks, losing 4-1. Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal made 32 saves as he led the Ducks to a Pacific Division-leading seventh win of the season.
Recap
First Period
The Devils came out firing in the opening minutes, but despite the strong start, it was Anaheim who struck first. Simon Nemec got caught a little too deep in the offensive zone, and Ducks rookie Beckett Sennecke scored a jaw-dropping one-handed goal to make it 1–0 Ducks less than five minutes in.
After another 10 minutes largely controlled by the Devils, Anaheim struck again. Dawson Mercer failed to clear the zone, and Frank Vatrano made him pay. His first goal of the season sent the Ducks into the first intermission up two.
Second Period
This time, the Devils came out slow to begin the period—and it cost them. From a near-impossible angle, Cutter Gauthier banked a shot off the side of Jake Allen and in to make it 3–0. The Ducks’ third goal of the game came on just their 10th shot.
The rest of the period saw the Devils trying to do a bit too much to mount a comeback. They made sloppy errors and were lucky to head into the third period trailing by only three
Third Period
The Devils once again slumped out of the gate to begin the final frame. They desperately needed a spark, and finally, it was Jack Hughes who gave it to them. After a big save from Allen at one end, Timo Meier sent a beautiful pass ahead to Mercer coming out of the box. Mercer then fed an even better pass across to Hughes, who buried it to pull the Devils back into the game.
Jack’s 10th goal of the season gave New Jersey some momentum, and they continued to push, trying to pull within one. However, Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal, who was terrific all night, made save after save. With the Devils’ net empty, Dostal turned aside a few more chances before Chris Kreider tapped one into the open cage to seal the game.
Game Notes
Inconsistent Goaltending
Heading into the weekend, there was a question of whether Allen could take the starting job from Markström. Markström had struggled out of the gate, while Allen was terrific stepping in during his absence.
However, Markström put on a show Saturday night in Los Angeles, stopping 43-of-44 shots with a 2.91 goals saved above expected (GSAx). Allen, while better in the back half of the game, struggled early and arguably costed the Devils.
Regression incoming?
The Devils shot out of a cannon to begin their 2025–26 campaign, winning eight of their first nine. However, it hasn’t been pretty since. They’ve now dropped three of their last four, and all signs point to a potential regression for New Jersey.
The Devils currently rank 22nd in five-on-five expected goals percentage but 1st in goals scored above expected; a sign that their luck may be running out. If New Jersey wants to stay among the league’s elite, they’ll need to tighten up and address some key holes before that luck fully disappears.
What’s Next?
The Devils will head home as they take on the Montreal Canadiens Thursday at 7:00 pm ET.