James Nichols
Clad in the sleek all-black third jerseys they’ll never wear again, the New Jersey Devils took the ice Sunday evening for their final home game of a 2025-26 campaign that promised so much and delivered so little—a somber sendoff in the colors of mourning for what could have been.
The Devils’ black Jersey Jersey is officially retired with the conclusion of Game 81 at the Prudential Center after hosting the Ottawa Senators. With no Brady Tkachuk, Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, and Tim Stutzle on the other side of the ice, this was not a game the Devils should have lost.
And they
The Devils got off to a solid start after looking to give their home fans one last thing to cheer about.
The Nico Hischier line got to work in the offensive zone by handling the puck below the dots and in the hashes. Timo Meier‘s initial shot and Dawson Mercer‘s rebound chance were turned aside by Reimer. However, the puck trickled to Hischier on the Senators right post, and he cleaned up the garbage to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead.
That same line nearly added a second goal just over five minutes later. However, Meier was whistled for offside, and Mercer’s 20th goal of the season was overturned.
Lenni Hameenaho high-sticked Shane Pinto and drew blood, earning himself a double minor.
Despite the Devils short a man, Connor Brown got in alone for a breakaway against Reimer, and scored his 18th of the season to double the New Jersey lead to 2-0.
For as good as the first period was, it was the reverse in the middle frame.
Just under eight minutes into the second period, Michael Amadio redirected Artem Zub’s shot from the point past Nico Daws to cut the New Jersey lead to 2-1.
Hameenaho then went back to the penalty box for a two-minute hooking minor against Dylan Cozens.
Ottawa promptly tied the game while on the man advantage when Shane Pinto’s one-timer converted to his 23rd goal of the season, making it a 2-2 game.
The Devils quickly worked themselves into a pickle and allowed a third straight goal to cap a total second period meltdown.
Jack Hughes handling the puck in New Jersey’s slot attempted to dump the puck back and start a rush. However, ex-Devil Fabian Zetterlund intercepted the pass in the high-danger area, and scored on Daws to give the Senators a 3-2 lead.
9:31 into the third, the Devils went to the man advantage after Nikolas Matinpalo was whistled for cross-checking Hischier.
Hughes negated that power play with 53 seconds remaining when he was called for interference battling for position with Michael Amadio.
However, Mercer picked up a loose puck at the Devils blueline and sprung himself for a breakaway shorthanded, and scored on his backhand to tie the game at three goals each.
60 minutes wasn’t enough and the 3-3 tie went to overtime.
1:48 into the extra period, Drake Batherson slashed Bratt, sending the Devils to their fifth power play of the game.
After a fce-off win in the offensive zone, Hughes’ shot on net left a rebound for Hischier, who scored his second of the night and the game-winning goal in overtime.
Nico Daws made 27 saves on 30 shots, earning his second win of the season.
