The New Jersey Devils were defeated 3-0 by the Vegas Golden Knights in their own barn on Friday evening – their fourth consecutive defeat. To make matters worse, former Devils netminder Akira Schmid recorded the shutout with 24 saves.
Related: Vegas Golden Knights hands New Jersey Devils second straight shutout loss
Markstrom takes great responsibility
After Friday morning’s practice, head coach Sheldon Keefe said he “needed more from everyone.” Certainly, goaltending was part of that, as the team entered the night with 13 goals allowed during the homestand, including a .845 save percentage (SV%), and minus 4.19 goals above expectations (GSAx – via Geldpuck).
Tonight, Jacob Markstrom posted another performance that doesn’t look great on paper: 24 of 27 saves (.889%). But the actual game tells a different story. He would definitely want the first goal back; Shea Theodore’s shot had only a 3.1% chance of being a goal. But then he made a plethora of key stops to keep the Devils in it. The other two goals conceded were both high-danger chances on Vegas power plays – the second goal with a 43.1% chance of scoring and the third with a 79.1% chance of scoring. Both penalties were taken by Nico Hischier, one of the team’s best penalty kickers. The units there didn’t do nearly enough to keep Markstrom out of harm’s way.
When all was said and done, Markstrom retired +0.53 goals above expected. It is certainly not his fault that the team did not score a single goal. Nevertheless, after the match he took the blame on himself:
“I have to be better…[I could’ve stopped] all,” said Markstrom. “It’s frustrating… it should have been a 0-0 game in the last five minutes… I’m a goalie. That’s my job [to stop pucks].”
THIS ONE COUNTS 👍 pic.twitter.com/B4GVy14HXb
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) December 6, 2025
Hischier, the captain, dispelled the idea: “No, no, no. We are a team. We win together. We lose together. Marky made incredible saves in the second period, even in the first period, and we have to [up] A goal for him.”
While Markstrom may have been a little hard on himself, it’s clear the frustration has boiled over for him. His season SV% now sits at 0.876%.
Lack of creation + lack of finishing = bad recipe
The Devils have certainly struggled to generate offense without Jack Hughes. Tonight was no different; they generated just 2.03 expected goals – their second-lowest total at home this season.
Moreover, they don’t take their chances if they do that Doing get them. Including tonight, during this four-game skid, they generated 35 great danger possibilities at 5v5. They only scored three.
Since October 30, the Devils have scored 11.40 goals below expected (via natural statistical trick). Even if they finished at an average pace, it might not be enough to consistently get wins with Jack out. A consistent inability to finish only makes it harder.
The skid has dropped the Devils from the top of the Eastern Conference to seventh place, completely out of a playoff spot. That is why every match is so crucial in 2025-2026.
When The hockey writers When asked if the games feel more urgent than at this point in previous seasons, Keefe said:
“It’s fair to say that. [The standings are] so tight. But I think every time you stack up a streak like this where you don’t get any points, you’re going to feel it. So it’s probably going to be enlarged depending on how tight it is. We’re on an eight-game win streak, so we’ve given ourselves a little cushion, but it’s running out. So you have to get back up and get points. And I think hitting the road comes at a really good time for us. It’s time to go…no time to waste and no time to wait. Just get back to work on it tomorrow.”
The power play is struggling mightily
The Devils’ power play has operated a little differently than in previous seasons; Keefe changes the units game by game as he sees fit, based on the opponent’s penalties.
Some critics thought early on that the unconventional strategy would prevent them from acquiring any long-term chemistry. But the results were pretty solid early on; through Wednesday against the Dallas Stars, the Devils’ power play percentage of 25.0% ranked fifth in the league.
However, there has certainly been a big step backwards in the last two games. On Wednesday they went 0-for-2. Tonight they also went 0-for-2. Well, that happens to every team, right!? Yeah… but in those four power plays combined, the Devils just had it a single shot on target. On the last two chances, the Devils looked extremely confused and were booed for about three and a half of those four minutes.
“As far as the power play goes, it has to be a little faster,” Keefe said. “Quicker with your decisions, a little more assertive. When you squeeze the stick a little tight, you tend to think about it.”
Come on
The Devils – now 16-11-1 – are back in action tomorrow as they head north to take on the Boston Bruins at TD Garden (7:00 PM EST).
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