Top Devils News
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Devils' Jack Hughes: Three-game, seven-point streak
Hughes had a goal and two assists in a 4-3 overtime win over the Flyers.
Hughes even set up his younger brother, Luke Hughes, on the winner in overtime. Jack is on a three-game, seven-point streak that includes two goals and five assists. And he has nine points, including six assists, in six games since returning from injury. Hughes is back. And those two assists give him 21 in 16 games. That's the fewest games needed to reach 20 assists in a season in Devils history. The previous mark was 22 games by Scott Gomez (1999-2000), Bruce Driver (1989-90) and Kirk Muller (1987-88).
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Devils' Luke Hughes: Nets winner after injury scare
Hughes scored the game-winning goal Thursday in overtime in a 4-3 win over Philadelphia.
It was a one-timer from the right circle on a 2-on-1 rush with brother Jack Hughes. And it came as a relief. The young Hughes left Thursday's game with 3:45 left in the first after he went hard into the boards on a collision during a puck race. He went into concussion protocol, and he was thankfully able to come back for the second. The goal stretched his point streak to three games and four points (two goals, two assists).
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Devils' Akira Schmid: Big performance in win
Schmid made 44 saves in a 4-3 overtime win over the Flyers on Thursday.
Schmid took a shutout into the third period, but Tyler Toffoli took that away at 4:31 while on the power play. And then things got dicey. Philly poured it on, scoring again at 15:00 and then forcing overtime with a game-typing goal at 19:09. Schmid earned the win when Luke Hughes scored just 28 seconds into the extra frame. Schmid is now 3-4-1 with a 3.02 GAA and .904 save percentage. He starts about every third game for the Devils and is yet to deliver consistency for his managers. So, weigh the matchup and hope he can throw down this type of effort when you put him in your net.
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Devils' Brendan Smith: Set for disciplinary hearing
Smith will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Friday after he slashed Travis Konecny in Thursday's game versus the Flyers.
Smith's actions appear to have risen to the level of supplemental discipline. He took a minor penalty on the play in the third period. If Smith is suspended, the Devils would likely need to make a roster move, as they'd only have five healthy defensemen on the roster.
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Devils' Akira Schmid: Starting Thursday
Schmid will protect the road goal Thursday versus the Flyers, Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site reports.
Schmid earned the win in a relief outing Tuesday versus the Islanders after a poor start from Vitek Vanecek. Head coach Lindy Ruff will reward Schmid with the next start. The 23-year-old goalie is 1-4-0 in November, but with a solid 2.40 GAA and a .917 save percentage across five games.
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Devils' Timo Meier: Might be an option for Friday
Meier (lower body) skated on his own Thursday and might be an able to return for Friday's game against San Jose, per Amanda Stein of the Devils' official site.
Meier will still miss his seventh consecutive contest when the Devils face Philadelphia on Thursday, but coach Lindy Ruff seems encouraged by the 27-year-old forward's progress. Meier has five goals and 11 points in 14 outings this season. He was on a three-game goal-scoring streak before getting hurt, so it will be interesting to see if Meier can pick up where he left off once he recovers.
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Devils' Dougie Hamilton: Out Thursday
Hamilton (upper body) isn't expected to play Thursday versus Philadelphia.
Hamilton sustained the injury during Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Islanders. He's been a key defenseman for the Devils this season, providing five goals and 16 points in 20 contests while averaging 20:59 of ice time. Brendan Smith, who was previously serving as a forward, is projected to shift to defense and serve on a pairing with Jonas Siegenthaler against the Flyers. Samuel Laberge is set to play on the fourth line in his NHL debut after being summoned from AHL Utica on Wednesday.
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Devils' Timo Meier: Solo skates Wednesday
Meier (lower body) completed a solo skating session Wednesday, Sam Kasan of the Devils' official site reports.
Meier's continued absence from practice makes him a long shot, at best, to play in Thursday's matchup with the Flyers. With a back-to-back on the schedule, it's probably more likely that Meier will target a return versus Vancouver on Tuesday, though no official timeline has been announced by the team.
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Devils' Erik Haula: Out Thursday
Haula (lower body) won't play Thursday versus Philadelphia, per Sam Kasan of the Devils' official site.
It will be the Devils' second straight game without Haula. He has six goals and 12 points in 18 contests this campaign. When Haula's ready to return, he'll likely serve in a middle-six capacity and see time on the second power-play unit.
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Devils' Dougie Hamilton: Being evaluated for injury
Hamilton (upper body) is being evaluated and remains questionable for Thursday's game versus Philadelphia, coach Lindy Ruff told Sam Kasan of the Devils' official site on Wednesday.
Hamilton suffered the injury during Tuesday's 5-4 victory over the Islanders. He has five goals and 16 points in 20 contests this campaign. If Hamilton can't play Thursday, then Brendan Smith, who has been serving as a forward, will likely shift to defense, and Samuel Laberge might make his NHL debut as a member of the fourth line.
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Devils' Samuel Laberge: Up from minors
Laberge was summoned by New Jersey on Wednesday.
Laberge has a goal, three points and 16 PIM in eight games with AHL Utica this season. The 26-year-old hasn't featured in the NHL yet, but with the Devils set to play in back-to-back games against Philadelphia on Thursday and San Jose on Friday, perhaps he'll get a chance to enter the lineup. If Laberge does play in either of those contests, it will likely be as a member of the fourth line.
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Devils' Dawson Mercer: Another two-point effort
Mercer produced a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Islanders.
It's the second straight two-point performance for the 22-year-old, who is thriving while skating alongside a healthy Jack Hughes. Mercer began the season with a 10-game point drought, but since then he's turned things around, racking up five goals and eight points over his last 10 contests. A lack of consistent power-play time limits his fantasy upside, but he's still capable of contributing given his top-line role at even strength.
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Devils' Michael McLeod: Two-point effort Tuesday
McLeod scored a goal and added an assist in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Islanders.
He got the Devils on the board midway through the first period before helping to set up Curtis Lazar's game-winner in the third with just 23 seconds left on the clock. It's McLeod's first multi-point performance of the season, snapping a six-game point drought, and the 25-year-old is on track to top his prior career high of nine goals with four tallies and eight points through 20 contests in 2023-24.
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Devils' Curtis Lazar: Pots GWG against Isles
Lazar scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in Tuesday's 5-4 victory over the Islanders.
The 28-year-old journeyman tapped a rebound past Ilya Sorokin with just 23 seconds left in regulation to complete a comeback from a 4-2 deficit. Lazar is playing for his sixth NHL team in 10 seasons, but he could be headed for a career-best campaign in New Jersey with four goals and seven points through 18 games -- he's never scored more than eight goals (set in 2021-22 with Boston) or 20 points (set in 2015-16 with Ottawa) before.
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Devils' Jack Hughes: Three points in win over Isles
Hughes scored a goal on a game-high nine shots on net and added two assists, one on the power play, in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Islanders.
The 22-year-old sparked a third-period comeback for the Devils by snapping a one-timer off the post and past Ilya Sorokin. Hughes has two goals and six points in five games since returning from a shoulder injury, and staying healthy would seem to be the only obstacle between him and the first 100-point campaign of his career -- he has seven goals and 26 points in 15 contests.
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Devils' Akira Schmid: Gets win in relief Tuesday
Schmid turned aside all eight shots he faced after replacing Vitek Vanecek in the second period of Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Islanders.
The switch in the crease provided a spark to the Devils, and Schmid wound up getting credited with the win after his team erased a 4-2 deficit in the third. It's the 23-year-old netminder's first in November after four losing decisions, but his 2.40 GAA and .917 save percentage on the month are far superior to Vanecek's 3.66 GAA and .867 save percentage over nine appearances. It may not be long before Schmid takes over the No. 1 job for New Jersey.
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Devils' Vitek Vanecek: Gets hook against Isles
Vanecek allowed four goals on 18 shots before being replaced by Akira Schmid midway through the second period of Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Islanders.
After getting beaten three times in less than five minutes in the second frame, Vanecek got lifted with the Devils in a 4-2 hole, only to see Schmid get the win in relief after a third-period comeback. Vanecek has given up four goals in three of his last four appearances, and his 4-3-0 record in November isn't supported by a rough 3.66 GAA and .867 save percentage. Given Schmid's 2.40 GAA and .917 save percentage in five outings this month, Vanecek's hold on the top job in the New Jersey crease appears very tenuous.
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Team Statistical Rankings
| GF AVG | GA AVG | Power Play | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 3.58 | 3.63 | 36.8 |
Injuries
| Player | Injury |
|---|---|
| D. Hamilton D Dougie Hamilton D | Upper Body |
| T. Meier RW Timo Meier RW | Lower Body |
| E. Haula LW Erik Haula LW | Lower Body |
| T. Nosek LW Tomas Nosek LW | Upper Body |
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