The New Jersey Devils‘ latest struggles continued with a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday night at TD Garden. The defeat caps off what has undeniably been the worst week of New Jersey’s season, seeing its place in the Metropolitan Division standings fall from first to sixth and out of a wildcard spot.
With the defeat, New Jersey increased its losing streak to five games, its longest since December of 2022 when it dropped six consecutive games.
Both teams were missing their biggest stars, with Jack Hughes still injured after a team dinner mishap in mid November and David Pastrnak day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
Jake Allen took over for Jacob Markstrom between the pipes after the latter picked up the loss last night at home in a 3-0 defeat to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Devils’ second straight 3-0 loss at home.
Jeremy Swayman manned the net for Boston, as the American netminder boasts what has been a great bounce-back season anchoring an unexpectedly surging Bruins team. Swayman improved his record to 12-7-0 on the year with the victory.
Allen’s all-time record against Boston fell to 6-7-1 with the defeat and 8-6-0 on the season.
First Period
The Devils would come into the game with one lineup change from its loss to Vegas, as defenseman Dennis Cholowski drew back onto the blueline next to Simon Nemec in favor of Colton White.
In a surprising change of the offesnive lines, Jesper Bratt joined Nico Hischier and Timo Meier on New Jersey’s top line and remained together through the game.
The Devils started the proceedings aggressively, picking up five of its 12 first period shots within the first four minutes.
Despite a few strong chances from New Jersey through Bratt and Stefan Noesen, the Bruins would withstand that early pressure and draw first blood through Fraser Minten with 2:18 to go in the period. The 21 year-old Vancouver native found the back of the net on Mark Kastelic’s centering feed, disposessing Nemec in the process.
The Devils would avoid going into the first intermission down a goal as Timo Meier would pick up his 11th goal of the season with 1:11 to go in the first on assists from Hischier (16) and Luke Hughes (14).
Meier continues to be a key contributor in the absence of star center Jack Hughes, improving to six goals and nine points in 12 games played without No. 86 this season.
Meier’s goal would end New Jersey’s goalless drought at 2 hours, 26 minutes and 48 seconds of gameplay, its first tally since a 5-3 loss vs Columbus on Monday.
Second Period
Despite the late first period tally from New Jersey, Boston would control the contest to start the second frame.
Morgan Geekie gave the Bruins the lead once again when he scored his 22nd of the season and 47th of 2025 1:11 into the second, spurred by another defensive zone giveaway by the Devils.
Elias Lindholm fired a quick pass to a wide-open Geekie after picking off Brenden Dillon’s errant pass, an uncharacteristic mistake from the veteran defenseman that Boston was not going to let go unpunished.
The Devils would grow back into the game through the second with multiple spells of extended o-zone pressure, but it would only find the iron.
Former Bruin Dougie Hamilton would fire a shot off the crossbar at the midway point of the period and Timo Meier nearly added a second goal with a deflection that clattered off the pipe late in the second.
New Jersey’s only power play would come late in the second with a penalty to Nikita Zadorov, but the Devils showcased a toothless zero-shot power play. It’s a continuation of the Devils’ struggles with the man advantage since the injury to Hughes, where it’s scored just six PPG in its last 28 attempts (21.4%), as opposed to 11 in 44 attempts (25%) with Jack in the lineup.
It would be the fifth straight power play without a goal for New Jersey.
New Jersey’s eventual pressure would go unrewarded, despite outshooting Boston 8-4 in the second frame and 20-9 through 40 minutes.
Third Period
Boston once again came out the better side to open the third. Early looks were scarce in the final frame for the visitors, as the Bruins continued to block off the middle of the ice.
Jake Allen was able to keep the Devils in the game with a huge pad save to deny a point blank opportunity for Tanner Jeannot 2 minutes in.
Boston would get its first power play of the game 9:08 through the third when Dennis Cholowski interfered with Marat Khusnutdinov. The Bruins would send a barrage of shots Allen’s way, including an Alexander Steeves rip that joined the long list of near-misses off the post, but the Devils withstood the pressure for a crucial kill.
New Jersey would apply more pressure late in the frame, including a flash of skill from Ondrej Palat that nearly set up Connor Brown for an equalizer if not for a strong pad stop from Swayman with 5 minutes to play.
New Jersey’s 10 third period shots would not be enough to solve Swayman, who continues his excellency this season.
Boston would apply the dagger on a pretty passing play with 3:35 to go that Casey Mittelstadt tapped home, with former Devil Pavel Zacha playing the role of conductor. The Bruins would seal it further with a 2:15 full-ice empty netter from Andrew Peeke, his first of the season.
Despite playing two strong periods in this one, the Devils once again find themselves on the wrong end of a lopsided result.
With one goal in its last 188 minutes and change, each mistake has felt that much more noticeable to the Devils. Until the bounces start to go its way in front of goal, New Jersey will need to be nearly perfect defensively.
Next up, the Devils will travel to Ottawa on Tuesday night with hopes to avoid extending its losing skid to six games.
