- The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (7-4-0) @ Dallas Stars (7-3-1)
- The Time: 8:00 pm EST
- The Broadcast: TV — MSGSN — Devils Hockey Radio
Last Devils Game
On Saturday afternoon, the Devils faced off against the Los Angeles Kings in the final game of their 3 game home stand. Well fellow Devils Nation members, I have good news for you. Not only did the Devils go undefeated in their 3 game stand, but they have now won 5 of their last 6 games. Jake Allen got the start in net, as Nico Daws was traded to Winnipeg. You know, in case you hadn’t heard. The two teams went scoreless in the first period, before the Kings opened the scoring for the night on a goal
from Scott Laughton at 15:57.
However, the Devils, playing well lately and boosted by the recent acquisition of Connor Hellebuyck, were more than ready to quickly answer back. Anthony Mantha tied the game less than 3 minutes later with his 3rd goal of the season to send the teams into the final intermission tied at 1-1. Brett Pesce scored his first goal of the season while doing his best Quinn Hughes impression, giving the Devils a 2-1 lead. Arseny Gritsyuk scored an empty net goal, his team leading 6th of the season, to give the Devils the win. Devils fans worldwide rejoiced!
Last Stars Game
On Sunday night, the Dallas Stars faced off against the New York Islanders. Tyler Seguin and Jason Robertson helped give the Stars a 2-1 lead in the first period before goals from our old friend Kyle Palmieri and Brayden Schenn helped to get the game tied at 3-3 heading into the final period. The Stars would run away with the game in the 3rd period however, scoring 3 unanswered goals, including a second from Robertson, to give the Stars a 6-3 victory.
The Stars are absolutely on fire right now. Jake Ottinger got the win in net for the Stars against the Islanders. The win was his 6th on the season and he currently has an absurd 6-2-1 record, along with a 1.23 GAA and a .930 SV%. Casey DeSmith has not been a slouch in his limited time either, currently rocking a 1.95 GAA and a .925 SV%. Regardless of who the Devils face in net tonight, they will have their work cut out for them. As a team, the Stars are currently on a 5 game winning streak, so tonight will be one of their biggest challenges of the very young season.
Injuries, Roster for Tonight, Yada, Yada, Yada.
There were some big moves recently for the Devils, in case you have been off the grid. Per Amanda Stein on Monday, Hellebuyck attended his first official practice. Lombardi will stay in, replacing Dawson Mercer, and Allen and Hellebuyck are officially listed as the goaltending duo while Chisholm is skating as the extra defenseman. According to Stein, no decision has been made yet for the starting goalie.
Grimace’s Prediction and 2026-2027 Record Tracker
Unlike the Devils, Grimace has been on a horrible run this season with only 1 win in 4 games. I’m about to demote him for the Hamburglar, but he has begged me to give him more time to “right the ship.” He claimed the answers were “in the living room” to which I responded “I don’t think you take your job seriously.” He claims that the Devils are riding high right now between their new goalie (maybe you have heard?) and their win streak. He predicts a win tonight!
Grimace’s 2026-2027 Season Prediction record currently stands at 1-3.
Your Take
One of the great (and not so great) things about sports is how much things can change in such a short period of time. One week, your team is playing .500 hockey and the next week, they have one of the best goalies in the game, a 3 game win streak (and 5 wins in 6), a few less players, but a new found sense of confidence. It’s why we all love sports one day and hate them the next. It’s also why I received a phone call from the ticket office an hour after the trade asking if I was interested in season tickets.
As I have been saying, I believe 100% in Sunny and his vision and his methods. Yes, it is early in his tenure. Yes, we need to wait to see how his moves will pan out in the long run. But no one, will accuse the man of sitting on his hands. No one will accuse the man of not being in charge of his own destiny. Gone are the days of “you can’t make someone trade with you” and here are the days of “this is what I need, this is what I want, here is what I’m offering, are you in or out?” Ok, maybe he didn’t put it exactly like that, but listening to his press conference after the trade, it is clear the man has both a reason behind everything he does and the business skills to pull it off. Having a GM like Sunny is as big of a breath of fresh air as both his ability to make moves and the Devils winning 5 of 6. Let the good times and Rachel’s bun continue.
In a shameless bit of non hockey related self promotion (approved by Chris – thanks Chris), I wanted to plug my podcast on here, if any of you are interested in listening. We have a light hearted, fun discussion about any movies, music, or video games mostly from the 1980s and 1990s. Please feel free to listen to us on any of the formats below and any feedback is welcome (positive and negative). Also, please follow us and subscribe, even if you think we stink. :).
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