Thursday, The Devils get a shutout for the first time this season as they fell to the Florida Panthers 1-0. Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves en route to his 50th career shutout.
New Jersey sits at 13-6-1 on the season.
Recap
1st Period
The Devils opened the game strong, outshooting the Panthers 9–3 through the first 13 minutes. But just as it seemed New Jersey was gaining momentum, Florida’s leading scorer struck.
Sam Reinhart powered his way around Luke Hughes and lifted a forehand shot over Jake Allen’s shoulder. The veteran netminder had little chance as the Panthers jumped out to a 1–0 lead.
The goal swung momentum in Florida’s favor, but Allen and the Devils settled in defensively to keep it a one-goal game heading into the first intermission.
2nd Period
The second period was largely uneventful. Both goalies stood tall, with Allen making 11 saves to keep New Jersey within striking distance.
The Devils struggled to generate sustained pressure, and despite earning two late power plays, they failed to beat Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. The score remained 1–0 heading into the final frame.
3rd Period
The third period was probably the best for the Devils in this game. They held strong on defense and even had a crucial penalty kill to keep the deficit to one. However, they weren’t generating enough on offense.
With 90 seconds left, Allen was pulled for the extra attacker, and New Jersey poured on the pressure. Shot after shot funneled toward Bobrovsky, but the two-time Vezina winner stood tall. In the final seconds, Jesper Bratt fired a puck toward the net that Timo Meier redirected, but Bobrovsky made one last save to seal the 1–0 Panthers win.
Game Notes
Allen Continuing To Excel
Jacob Markström has struggled through an injury-filled start to his season, and Jake Allen’s strong play is beginning to shift the conversation. Allen was excellent again against Florida and kept the Devils competitive throughout.
With a .916 save percentage and 4.3 goals saved above expected, Allen has clearly outperformed Markström so far.
After Markström’s rough outing against the Lightning, head coach Sheldon Keefe may have no choice but to strongly consider giving Allen the starting role moving forward.
The Devils Have a Scoring Issue
Without their star forward, the Devils’ offense has looked lifeless over the last couple of games. Since Jack Hughes’ injury, New Jersey has scored just two five-on-five goals in three games.
Unfortunately for Devils fans, this is a familiar storyline. Since 2021, New Jersey is 31–39–10 without Hughes in the lineup, averaging 2.83 goals per game. When Hughes plays, the Devils are 160–137–27, averaging 3.13 goals per game during that span.
If the Devils want to stay afloat in the playoff race over the next two months, they must find a way to generate offense without their superstar.
What’s Next
The Devils will look to rebound as they continue their road trip against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.