On Tuesday night, the New Jersey Devils came into UBS Arena with a chance to make a big statement after young defenseman Luke Hughes recently got booed by his own team’s fans. Instead, they crumbled like a Nature Valley Granola Bar, getting obliterated 9-0 by the New York Islanders.
At least, according to a 2017 Business Insider article, Nature Valley claimed that crumbling is “part of who” they are. That shouldn’t be the case for the Devils on-ice, but for a few seasons now, it has been.
Related: Duclair’s Hat Trick Propels Islanders to 9-0 Victory Over Devils
Frustration Boils Over, Devils Fan Throws Jersey on Ice
It’s safe to say — understandably so — that frustration has boiled over for most Devils fans. 1,409 days ago, general manager Tom Fitzgerald said, “We are watching the next generation of Stanley Cup champions right before our eyes,”
At first, it sure looked like it: the team’s next full season was their best in franchise history: a record 52 wins and a thrilling playoff series victory over their rival New York Rangers. The groundwork was set, including some very team-friendly contracts.
Since then, it’s all went backwards. From 2023-24 and on, the Devils have lost 105 of 207 games (50.7%) with just one single playoff game victory in that span. Now, with their cap situation, bringing back defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic from injury will be enough of a chore; let alone trying to upgrade enough to make the team a contender. From the looks of it, it’ll take multiple pieces to do so. Forget contending for a cup, though: coming into the night, Moneypuck had the Devils at just 29.7% to make the playoffs. That will only go down more.
Following the Islanders’ fifth goal, a Devils fan threw their jersey over the glass and onto the ice, presumably in an act of sheer frustration. We often see actions like this within Canadian fanbases, but Devils fans are passionate…and they want to make their voices heard:
#NJDevils fan just threw a jersey on @UBSArena ice after #Isles went up 5-0. pic.twitter.com/z879JYA9lV
— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) January 7, 2026
Individual Mistakes + Poor Goaltending Compound Issues
As has been the case for a good chunk of Devils losses in recent seasons, they’ve played pretty well but individual mistakes (plus a lack of finishing) have done them in. The first period was a microcosm of that.
The Devils spotted the Islanders a quick 3-0 lead in the first. At the first horn, scoring chances were 9-3 in favor of the Devils (via Natural Stat Trick). The Islanders capitalized on all of theirs; the Devils capitalized on none. And all three goals against were the result of individual mistakes: On the first, Cody Glass was involved in a defensive miscommunication, which caused Mathew Barzal to sit wide open.
On the second goal, Brett Pesce made an ill-advised pinch, creating an odd-man rush. On the third, Markstrom couldn’t stop a shot from 29 feet out at a 43.6 degree angle; the shot had just a 3.7% chance of being a goal, per Moneypuck.
This isn’t a new phenomenon. Get ready for this: Since Oct. 28, in the 20 games the Devils have lost, at 5v5, they’ve cumulatively out chanced the opposition by 39. In games they’ve lost!!
It’s almost unbelievable that when all was said and done, scoring chances were 33-16 Devils. That just goes to show how the importance of finishing, goaltending, and eliminating costly mistakes. But after a few seasons of it, it’s clear this is more than just poor luck. This is who the Devils are.
In postgame interviews, the team seemed beyond dejected. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom apologized: “Nine goals? Yeah, that’s a joke … We want to apologize to Devils fans, and I got to be better and stop more pucks.”
Defenseman Brenden Dillon, who typically always knows what to say, struggled to piece it together: “I don’t know if it’s just us being stubborn. It’s obviously not the right way to play … nine goals, like, that’s crazy. Yeah. Honestly, I don’t even really know what to say.”
From the mood in the locker room — a dejection unlike any other from this team in recent seasons — one thing is clear: this extended stretch of mediocrity cannot go on any longer without some kind of massive change.
Moving Forward
The Devils — now 22-19-2 — will next return to action in Pittsburgh on Thu, Jan. 8 (7:00 PM EST).
