After a strong win over the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday night, the New Jersey Devils (33-23-6, 3rd Metropolitan) fell to the Vegas Golden Knights (36-18-6, 1st Pacific) 2-0 in the second leg of a back-to-back. It was a tightly contested game through the first two periods, but a disastrous pair of mistakes doomed the Devils in the final frame.
First Period
Even though the scoreboard showed zeroes at the end of the first period, there were plenty of goal-scoring opportunities to go around. Vegas got a couple of good looks in the opening minutes, while Adin Hill had to be smart to play away some tricky rebounds generated off rush chances.
Vegas nearly scored midway through the period on a Noah Hanifin chance that bounced off the post and behind Markstrom in the crease before sailing out of danger. Tomas Tatar responded with a shot off the rush going the other way that Hill corralled with ease.
The rest of the period was played tight by both teams. It resembled a postseason style of play at both ends as the defensive systems flexed their muscles. The five-on-five possession battle reflected this with the Devils earning a 55.26 Corsi-for percentage (CF%) but a 49.11 expected goal percentage (xG%).
Second Period
Both teams played conservative hockey to start the second period, leaving little room for set offensive plays. Adin Hill and Jacob Markstrom had to make some great saves despite the strong defensive play on display. Markstrom stood tall against a couple of flurries to keep the game tied, and Hill had to make a clutch save on a Paul Cotter two-on-one chance.
The ice opened up a bit later in the period, with both teams getting good looks in front of the net, something that was missing in the first period. The Devils played particularly strong in transition, generating numbers on the attack and shutting down Vegas’ plays in the neutral zone in defense. Stefan Noesan laid down a nice hit at one point, challenging Vegas’ physical system.
The Golden Knights put the Devils on the back foot in the late stages of the period, getting good shifts in New Jersey’s zone and creating off the rush. It’s a good thing Markstrom came back from the injured list fully healthy because he had to use his athleticism to get across the crease on multiple occasions.
The teams played a neven game for much of the period, but Vegas’s late surge gave them the advantage in possession. The Devils went into the locker room with a 37.5 CF% and a 38.37 xG% at five on five. Vegas had a whopping 1.1 expected goals at five-on-five in the second period.
grip it
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 3, 2025rip it#VegasBorn | @Vegas pic.twitter.com/UVo4ZZ32WR
Third Period
The Devils made their first real mistake of the night when Jack Hughes took an interference call in the opening seconds of the third period. For all the strong defense the Devils had played to that point, they couldn’t bail out their star center on the kill. Vegas got set up quickly after winning the face-off, and Noah Hanifim uncorked a powerful slap shot, which Mark Stone tipped, changing its direction to fool Markstrom to put Vegas on the board.
Vegas, a team known for shutting down games when they have a late lead, did just that. They maintained the defensive structure that had stymied New Jersey all night while putting on consistent pressure in the offensive zone, decisively out-chancing the Devils. The Devils fought back to regain the momentum and got a good shift in the offensive zone, but they made a fatal mistake when the team got caught with too many men on the ice, handing Vegas another power play.
NOAH HANIFIN GETS ALL OF @TMobileArena ON ITS FEET
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 3, 2025pic.twitter.com/yESkEJZM68
It was Noah Hanifin again who struck the killing blow, ripping another slap shot, this time untipped, into the back of the net. Running out of time and in need of two quick goals, the Devils took control of the game and put in the work in the offensive zone. They had Vegas pinned in their end multiple times, but Adin Hill and the defense kept the chances low danger and on the perimeter.
New Jersey appeared to get the break they needed when Raphael Lavoie took a slashing call to give them their first power play of the night. They were sloppy on the man advantage, however, allowing Vegas to clear the zone at will. The wheels fell off completely at the end of the power play when Ondrej Palat took a tripping call. Vegas took advantage of the delayed penalty to kill off the remaining 30 seconds of the Devils’ advantage and kill any chance of a comeback.
Vegas shut the door on any Devils’ magic on the power play and, unfortunately, took Jack Hughes down as well. Jack Eichel and Hughes both made a play for the puck behind the net, and Jack Eichel won out, sending Hughes careening into the boards shoulder first. Hughes stayed down for a while as the trainer attended to him and exited the ice doubled over. He went directly down the tunnel.
Results
The Devils seem to have run into a wall over the past month and change: they cannot win two games in a row. They haven’t done that since late January.
The first two periods of last night’s game felt like the playoffs: two skilled teams maximizing their systems’ potential to create a tightly contested game. Vegas had the fresher legs, with the Devils coming off a game the night before, and it showed in the third period. The Devils made mistakes that allowed Vegas to take the lead, and the Knights had the energy to shut down any counterattack. It was a frustrating start to a brutal three-game stretch against three of the NHL’s best teams.
Game Notes
- All eyes were focused on Jack Hughes after the game. The Devils’ leading scorer took a nasty bounce off the boards late in the third period and went directly down the tunnel. Head coach Sheldon Keefe did not have an update on Hughes after the game and said he’d be reevaluated.
- Noah Hanifin’s name came up often in the win for Vegas. He created both of Vegas’s goals, his first shot was tipped by Mark Stone, and his second one fooled Markstrom cleanly. He also had a couple of other grade-A chances, including one in the first period that rang the iron and bounced dangerously behind Markstrom in the crease. The Golden Knights played excellent hockey with Hanifin on the ice, notching a 64.94 xG%.
- Markstrom put up a solid effort in his return from injury, stopping 22-of-24 shots for a .917 SV%. The first goal he allowed wasn’t his fault, as Mark Stone put a wicked tip on it. The second goal was Marktsrom’s only real mistake of the night, a shot from the blue line he should have picked up. He racked up 0.77 goals saved above expected in the loss.
Up Next
The Devils will continue their road trip against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday at 8:00 pm ET.