The New Jersey Devils headed to Anaheim on Sunday night to take on the Ducks. Despite a tough third period, they were unable to complete a comebackwith a 4-1 loss for their third loss of the four-game road trip.
Related: Ducks earn a 4-1 victory over Visiting Devils
Allen’s slow start is difficult to overcome
Jake Allen gave up five goals to the San Jose Sharks as the Devils were shellacked on Halloween night. Unfortunately for him, although he was better tonight, a slow start was too difficult to overcome.
Sure, the Devils defense could have played better for him at times. But in the first two periods, Allen gave up three goals per 1.63 expected goals, according to Moneypuck.
In this case, one specific goal against seemed to suck the air out of the balloon: the Ducks’ third goal. The Devils, who were down 2-0, fizzled and nearly pulled within one. Then the Ducks got some pressure and a centering pass from Cutter Gauthier went through Allen, who didn’t completely seal the ice. The ‘shot’ had only a 5.1% chance of being a goal.
🚨Cutter🚨
From a… sharp… angle! 😉
It’s 3-0!From an awkward angle. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/7CS7EDF4Fg
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) November 3, 2025
It took the Devils until later in the third to regain control of the game. Allen was phenomenal the rest of the way, stopping all twelve shots he faced in the final frame. While it’s a positive sign for him, the slow start unfortunately prevented the Devils from escaping by a point or two.
Lack of finishing
After being one of the worst finishing teams in the league last season, that power started to trend upward for them during their eight-game winning streak. Unfortunately, tonight started to look a lot like many games in 2024/25, with the Devils scoring just once despite an expected goals ratio of 3.27.
It’s almost indescribable how Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal remains a thorn in the side of the Devils. Entering the night, in three career appearances against them, he was undefeated with a remarkable save percentage of .949. That figure only increased with his remarkable performance tonight: 32 of 33 (0.970%).
The alarm should certainly not be sounded: the Devils still scored +7.26 goals above expectations for the season. If they could just finish at an average pace for the rest of the season, that would put them in a great spot. (via Natural statistical trick)
Luke Hughes’ punishment problem
For the entire Devils team, staying off the beaten path was a big deal. Coming in, they were falling short by an average of 3.58 times per game – the eighth-worst mark in the league. With key penalty killers Johnathan Kovacevic, Brett Pesce, Cody Glass and Connor Brown all injured and out of the fold, there needs to be a extra emphasis on discipline.
Instead, too often, the Devils have lost another key defender — not to injury, but to the penalty box. Luke Hughes’ minor penalty for tripping in the first period was his eighth minor and 16th penalty minute (PIM) of the season, matching his total for all of last season. In just these 13 games he has had 26.6% of his money career PIMs.
Maybe he’s trying to do too much, or he’s still getting into the groove after missing the preseason due to a contract dispute. Whatever the reason, Luke is extremely talented and especially with all his injuries, they can’t afford for him to continue spending time in the sin bin.
Quick note: glass half full outlook
Despite the rough trip, the Devils are still 9-4-0. It’s worth noting, as Bryce Salvador pointed out during the MSG broadcast, that the Devils played their eighth game in thirteen days, while the Ducks played just their third game in eight days. It’s not an excuse, just a fact: the Devils’ schedule has been pretty brutal, but they get a break as they now only have to play the surging Montreal Canadiens at the Prudential Center on Thursday (7 p.m. EDT).
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