The calendar has turned to December, and the New Jersey Devils arrive at this point in the season battered, bruised, and still very much in the fight near the top of the Metropolitan Division. With injuries piling up and a streaky month behind them, the team continues to embody the blend of grit and high-end talent that has defined their recent resurgence. Fans keeping close tabs on the latest developments, game breakdowns, and long-term outlooks can explore more team coverage in our New Jersey Devils section.
New Jersey Devils Set to Host Columbus Blue Jackets in Crucial Metropolitan Division Matchup. The Prudential Center in Newark is primed for tonight’s showdown as the New Jersey Devils face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7:00 p.m. EST. Both teams bring contrasting momentum into this clash, with the Devils looking to maintain their strong position near the top of the Metropolitan Division while the Blue Jackets seek to snap a four-game losing streak. Fans seeking in-depth coverage, stats, and updates on New Jersey’s squad can follow along through our New Jersey Devils section.
New Jersey enters the matchup with a 16-8-1 record and 33 points, holding second place in the Metropolitan Division. The team is coming off its first home regulation loss of the season, a 5-3 defeat to the Philadelphia Flyers, but has rebounded to win three of its last four games. The Devils previously edged the Blue Jackets 3-2 this season, giving them a psychological edge heading into tonight’s contest.
Columbus, meanwhile, carries an 11-9-5 record with 27 points and currently sits eighth in the division. Despite the four-game losing streak, the Blue Jackets have managed to earn points in three of those games by forcing overtime, demonstrating their ability to compete in close contests. Tonight presents an opportunity for Columbus to reset momentum and challenge a top-tier opponent.
Injuries continue to shape the Devils’ lineup and strategy. Captain Jack Hughes remains sidelined with a finger injury and is expected to miss significant time. Defenseman Brett Pesce is out with an upper-body injury, while Zack MacEwen is slated to return, providing a boost to the team’s fourth line and physical presence. Columbus is also managing key absences, including forward Kirill Marchenko and captain Boone Jenner, both dealing with injuries that limit their on-ice impact.
Key players to watch for New Jersey include forward Nico Hischier, who has been on a remarkable four-game goal-scoring streak, and Timo Meier, contributing consistently with a five-game point streak. Hischier’s leadership and two-way play continue to anchor the Devils’ offense, particularly in Hughes’ absence, while Meier’s physicality and offensive touch provide a complementary spark. For Columbus, defenseman Zach Werenski stands out with 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) this season, representing the offensive engine capable of turning the tide if New Jersey’s defense lapses.
Tonight’s matchup carries more than just the standard points; it serves as a litmus test for the Devils’ resilience amid injuries and schedule challenges. How the team manages line combinations, defensive pairings, and special teams will likely determine the outcome against a Blue Jackets squad hungry to end its losing skid. Fans can tune in regionally on MSGSN, via ESPN+, or catch the action on WFAN 66 AM and 101.9 FM to follow the live updates and play-by-play coverage.
With both teams balancing injuries and the grind of the early-season schedule, tonight’s game promises to be an intense contest full of momentum swings, standout individual performances, and critical contributions from depth players. The Prudential Center atmosphere is expected to be electric, with New Jersey supporters eager to see their team maintain its high position in the Metropolitan Division while continuing to integrate returning players into a lineup striving for consistency and playoff readiness.
Overall, injuries have cast an undeniable shadow over the past several weeks. Jack Hughes remains sidelined with a hand injury suffered off the ice, though—thankfully—the timeline suggests a return sometime between Christmas and early January. Brett Pesce, Dougie Hamilton, Connor Brown, Evgenii Dadonov, Cody Glass, and Zack MacEwen have each taken turns on the shelf, forcing the Devils to dig deep into their depth chart. In Hughes’ absence, Juho Lammikko and Dawson Mercer have shuffled through center roles that highlight just how thin New Jersey becomes when its top pivots are unavailable.
Still, this team has refused to break. Even with its roster in flux, New Jersey opened the season with one of its strongest home starts in franchise history, securing at least a point in its first 10 games at the Prudential Center before dropping a 5–3 decision to Philadelphia on November 29. Nico Hischier enters December scorching hot, scoring in four straight games and rediscovering the assertive two-way presence that defines him at his best. Timo Meier continues to deliver in big moments with a five-game point streak, stepping into an elevated offensive role as Hughes heals. Emerging star Simon Nemec has delivered a remarkable offensive month from the blue line, becoming just the fifth defenseman in team history to record six goals in a calendar month—and several of those tallies have directly impacted wins.
Goaltending has also been a stabilizing force in a chaotic stretch. Jake Allen remains one of the league’s best in the early going, posting a 2.27 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage in 13 appearances. Jacob Markstrom has been a bit more of a roller coaster, though he continues to bank wins behind a battered roster and an unstable defensive structure.
The ups and downs were on full display throughout November. Early in the month, the Devils earned points in five of their first six games, including Nemec’s unforgettable hat trick in Chicago and a shootout steal against Washington. But the mid-month injury deluge led to an uneven stretch marked by blowouts, scoring droughts, and shuffled lines. When the team returned home, things steadied again, capped by a dominant 5–0 Black Friday win over Buffalo before the Flyers snapped their momentum to close out the month.
A closer breakdown of their November record reveals just how dramatically injuries impacted every facet of play. With Hughes, the Devils went 4–1–1. Without him: 4–4–0. With Cody Glass anchoring the lower lines: 6–1–1. Without him: 2–4–0. The ripple effect was impossible to ignore.
On the defensive side, Brett Pesce’s absence loomed largest. Luke Hughes struggled without his usual partner, and pairings featuring Dennis Cholowski had difficulty suppressing chances. Colton White stabilized things when he returned, and Hamilton—despite looking tentative early after coming back from injury—remains the team’s most effective penalty killer, posting elite defensive metrics while helping drive shorthanded scoring chances.
At five-on-five, the Devils’ depth forwards had a rough month. While Arseny Gritsyuk, Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Ondrej Palat graded well in expected goals, several key players struggled badly. Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov carried some of the worst possession numbers in the lineup, especially as they attempted to return from injury. Stefan Noesen, however, quietly delivered impressive underlying numbers, suggesting he could be deployed further up the lineup rather than stuck with the fourth line’s heavy defensive assignments.
Special teams were another story. After a blistering start to the season, New Jersey’s power play struggled to earn opportunities, hampered by lopsided officiating trends and an inability to draw penalties at a normal league rate. Meanwhile, the penalty kill slipped dramatically, most notably in the minutes played without Hamilton. Simon Nemec’s short-handed minutes were particularly turbulent, while veterans Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer remained the team’s most reliable forwards in suppressing high-danger looks. Some underused options—like Ondrej Palat, Noesen, or Cody Glass—may help stabilize the unit moving forward.
Goaltending continued to paper over some cracks. Allen stole multiple games, including near-perfect outings against Pittsburgh and Washington, and closed the month with a statement shutout of Buffalo. Markstrom fared better than some of his results suggest, particularly as defensive breakdowns increased in the penalty kill minutes in front of him. His rebound from poor medium-danger save percentages earlier in the season offers optimism that he’s trending back toward form.
Among all the ups and downs, November belonged to Nico Hischier. With Hughes sidelined, the captain seized the moment and dragged his team forward night after night. Hischier led New Jersey in goals for the month, dominated the faceoff circle, blocked shots at a rate unmatched by any Devils forward, and consistently drove offense in tight, low-danger games. In all, he was central to at least four wins during a stretch where the Devils easily could have spiraled.
Nemec’s breakout scoring month, Allen’s clutch performances, and Meier’s physicality and timely production round out the team’s most impactful contributors. But Hischier’s all-situations workload, efficiency, and leadership made him the steadying force the Devils needed to keep pace in a highly competitive Metropolitan Division.
New Jersey now heads into a pivotal December stretch with key matchups ahead, including home games against Columbus, Dallas, and Vegas. With Hughes progressing toward a return and Pesce expected later in the month, the Devils have every reason to believe their best hockey is still ahead. They end November with 33 points, sitting near the top of the conference despite one of the most turbulent injury stretches in recent memory.
If this team can stay afloat through a storm like November, the rest of the NHL should be on alert for what happens when the Devils get healthy.
