The New Jersey Devils return to the Prudential Center tonight seeking to put a halt to the kind of skid that has defined the past week rather than the standard they’ve set across the Eastern Conference this season. Three straight losses, an offense running thin on healthy bodies, and a lineup that has struggled to find rhythm have all converged at once—just in time for the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights to roll into Newark for a Friday night showdown.
For fans following along through Explore New Jersey’s Devils coverage, the bigger picture remains worth watching. The team still sits near the upper tier of the conference, and the long-term upside remains intact. But there’s no question that the current stretch has exposed how fragile the roster has become without some of its most prominent stars. To stay updated on the season, fans can always follow the latest from the New Jersey Devils hub.
New Jersey is coming off a 3–0 shutout loss to the Dallas Stars on Wednesday, a game head coach Sheldon Keefe didn’t mince words about afterward. The energy evaporated after the first goal against, and the building—which had been a fortress early in the season—watched its third straight home loss unfold in a homestand that was supposed to build momentum, not drain it.
What’s hampering the Devils most right now isn’t effort; it’s attrition. The injury list reads more like a midseason infirmary report than a December lineup update. Jack Hughes remains sidelined with a finger injury and is projected to miss close to two months. Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, Johnathan Kovacevic, Evgenii Dadonov, Marc McLaughlin, Cody Glass, and Zack MacEwen all remain unavailable. That list touches every corner of the roster—top-six scoring, defensive anchors, depth forwards, and special-teams contributors.
It’s no surprise, then, that the Devils have begun to look stretched thin. Without Hughes, Keefe has leaned heavily on the trio of Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Timo Meier—not just as a line, but as the engine for the entire offensive structure. While stacking talent can jump-start a game, it has also made New Jersey easier to game-plan against. Opponents focus on one line, and the rest of the lineup has not counterpunched with enough consistency.
That imbalance has amplified scrutiny on the team’s forward combinations. Despite back-to-back games with five goals allowed, the same forward lines have largely remained intact across this losing streak. And while defensive play and goaltending share responsibility for the recent results, the offensive lines haven’t sparked the pressure or scoring depth required to weather injuries. Players like Dawson Mercer and Arseny Gritsyuk have shown flashes, but their potential impact is limited when paired with wings who aren’t generating chances.
One name drawing frustration from fans and analysts is Ondrej Palat. Though an experienced leader with playoff pedigree, his production this season has been minimal—only two goals in 27 games—and he has remained locked into the second line. When a high-salary veteran continues to underperform in a prominent role, it inevitably raises questions about accountability and whether the team’s best internal options are truly being deployed.
Meanwhile, assets like Dadonov—who has produced at the NHL level—have rarely been given runway due to early-season injury and recent healthy scratches. Depth lines featuring Paul Cotter, Connor Brown, Cody Glass, Stefan Noesen, Luke Glendening, and Juho Lammikko have offered effort, but little finishing ability. Lammikko, in particular, has struggled to drive any offense at all, creating a bottom six that opponents don’t need to expend defensive resources on.
Given the tight Metropolitan Division standings, staying stagnant is hardly an option. With Boston looming tomorrow and divisional games stacking up later this month, experimenting with combinations feels like a necessity rather than a risk. Simple adjustments—such as giving Dadonov a full game next to Mercer, elevating Brown for a different look, or redistributing the top-line talent—could broaden the attack and force opponents into tougher matchups. Keefe is respected for his structure and communication, but this stretch will test his willingness to adapt in real time.
New Jersey entered this season expecting to contend, not merely hang around the playoff picture. The talent is there, the system is established, and when healthy, few teams in the East skate with the Devils. But until Hughes, Pesce, and Kovacevic return—and until the team gets steadier nights from the crease—New Jersey must find ways to manufacture offense and stabilize its lineup on the fly. The good news is the season is long, the standings remain forgiving, and the locker room has the pedigree to push through the adversity.
Tonight’s meeting with Vegas won’t be an easy place to reverse momentum, but it does offer an opportunity: a high-caliber opponent, a sold-out home crowd, and a chance for the Devils to show they’re more than the injuries they’re battling. For a team still squarely in its competitive window, these are the kinds of games that reveal identity—and the kind of December night that can change the tone of a season.
