Tuesday, the Devils lost their season finale, 4-0, on the road in Boston. Jeremy Swayman collected his second shutout of the season for the Bruins. The loss drops New Jersey to a final record of 42-37-3.
Recap
Period One
The Devils had an abysmal first period that started and ended with Boston goals. In the first shift of the game, New Jersey failed to clear multiple times before David Pastrnak found Morgan Geekie in front to make it 1-0 Bruins. Five minutes later Mark Kastelic found himself alone in front, and slid the puck five-hole on Nico Daws to double Boston’s lead.
The Devils pushed to get back into the game in the middle portion of the period, before Kastelic buried his second of the game off a feed from Sean Kuraly to make it 3-0. Then, in the final 10 seconds of the period Viktor Arvidsson had a tap-in goal to make it 4-0. That was the score after the first frame.
Period Two
The second period was low event on both sides, with both Daws and Swayman making a handful of saves. Being down by four, New Jersey was held to just five shots in the period. They were able to keep Boston off the board however, and stayed down four after two.
Period Three
The third period was more of the same from the second, with New Jersey and Boston getting slightly better chances. Mikey Eyssimont thought he had his ninth of the season, but head coach Sheldon Keefe challenged for offsides and the goal was overturned. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt tried their hardest to break the shutout on a late power play, but Swayman stood tall. The Devils lost for the 40th and final time this season, 4-0.
Game Notes
Who’s Gone?
With a new general manager and potentially president of hockey operations coming in this summer, there is bound to be change. Whether that be behind the bench or on the ice, some members of the Devils’ organization Tuesday night will no longer be with the team when they take the ice next in the fall.
In terms of players, Simon Nemec, Dougie Hamilton, Dawson Mercer, and even Nico Hischier are all names that have been thrown out by NHL insiders over the past six months.
The big question is what happens to current head coach Sheldon Keefe. There’s no question that the Devils have massively disappointed in his time as head coach, but there have been flashes of an elite team as well.
Eastern Playoffs are Set
Boston’s win tonight officially set the playoff field in the East:
- M1 Hurricanes v WC2 Senators
- M2 Penguins v M3 Flyers
- A1 Sabres v WC1 Bruins
- A2 Lightning v A3 Canadiens
The playoffs begin this Saturday, April 18.
What’s Next
The Devils’ 2025-26 slate has ended but the offseason is right on the horizon. This begins with the NHL Draft lottery which is set for May 5, 2026.