On Tuesday, April 14, the New Jersey Devils played their last game of the 2025-26 season against the Boston Bruins. This was the two teams’ third matchup, and heading into this game, both teams had each had a win under their belts in the season series.
The Bruins took a commanding lead in the first period, scoring four goals. There was no other change in score, and Boston took a 4-0 shutout win over the Devils. They also won the season series 2-1.
Devils Were Simply Outplayed
Just 53 seconds in, the Bruins were on the board with a goal from Morgan Geekie. Boston then went on to score six minutes in, 17 minutes in, and with eight seconds remaining in the first period. They scored four goals on 12 shots in the first period.
Related: Where the 2025-26 New Jersey Devils Went Wrong
New Jersey had 40 minutes to try to make a comeback. They only had 11 shots between the final two periods, and none of them went into the net. The Devils tried to get on the board, but they couldn’t come back from a four-goal deficit.
Even though they made an attempt, the Devils were outplayed. They looked tired and sloppy out on the ice. They tried to end the season on a high note, but the Bruins had other plans.
Hischier Earned a Record
While the performance in this game wasn’t great, it wasn’t all bad. Nico Hischier won his 1,000th faceoff for the season in this game. He is the only player for the season to win 1,000 faceoffs.
The Devils’ captain might not have recorded any points in this game, but he cracked another milestone, which is just as important. Hischier ends the season with 66 points in 82 games. He is one goal shy of 200, so his first in the 2026-27 season will already be another milestone reached.
Hischier provides the Devils with great leadership experience and adds an extra offensive edge to the team. Next season is the end of his seven-year contract, but that will be an issue for next year. For now, congratulations are in order to Hischier for winning 1,000 faceoffs this season!
Daws Did His Best
The Devils announced earlier in the week that Jacob Markstrom would be out for the rest of the season to rehab some previous injuries. They called up goaltender Nico Daws from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate team, the Utica Comets, earlier in order to prepare for Markstrom’s exit. He played on April 12 and secured the win for the Devils, allowing three goals on 30 shots.
This game was Daws’ first loss of the season, and a tough one at that. He allowed four goals on the Bruins’ first 11 shots. He stopped their subsequent 14 shots, but the rest of the team didn’t score, so it didn’t matter much in the end.
Daws has been a big part of the Comets’ franchise over the last several seasons. He is at the end of his two-year contract and is about to become a restricted free agent (RFA). Although his performance in this game was subpar, this shouldn’t disqualify him from the chance at another contract. He has been great for Utica, and his two previous games for the Devils this season resulted in a victory. Everything is still up in the air, but Daws should at least earn the chance to receive another contract with the team.
Devils Look to Next Season
This season started out strongly in the Devils’ favor, but it did not end how they wanted it to. It’s time to reset and look towards training over the summer to prepare for the 2026-27 season.
