For Sunday afternoon’s preseason split squad, the New Jersey Devils kept a majority of their best players home to face the Washington Capitals. The Devils overcame a slow start to force a shootout, eventually falling 3-2 in a five-round battle. Despite the rough start, there were certainly some positives worth more than the final score. Let’s get the negative out of the way first:
Related: Cristall the Shootout Winner, Capitals Defeat Devils 3-2
A Slow Start
Slow starts have plagued the Devils at times in recent seasons. The Devils should be grateful today was only a preseason game, as their first period was pretty rough. The Caps outshot the Devils 10-2 in the frame, but Jacob Markström held them in by allowing just one goal.
The Devils had just one scoring chance in that frame — belonging to Topias Vilen — compared to the Caps’ six. (via Natural Stat Trick) Uncharacteristically, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier and Nico Hischier were all held without a shot attempt in the period.
It trickled on to the second period as well, as the Devils were getting outshot 17-8 after two with just one single high danger chance.
Power Play Success
The Devils had the second-best man advantage in the entire NHL last season, which often helped them crawl back in after starting slow. That was exactly what occurred today, as the Devils were down 2-0, until Jack Hughes found Nico Hischier in the slot to cut the deficit in half.
Goal so nice, even they gotta respect it.#NJDevils | @Mikes_Amazing pic.twitter.com/1ncElE63vI
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) September 28, 2025
They later knotted the game up, also on the power play as Shane Lachance — as advertised — bullied his way into the crease and batted a puck out of mid-air to tie it.
“There’s a lot of skill in that [power play] group,” said Jeremy Colliton, who was the bench boss today with Sheldon Keefe coaching in Quebec. “You go down the line, they all have complementary skill sets that really fit well together. One thing we take a lot of pride in is the tempo of our power play to try and push the kill [and] make them play at a pace they’re uncomfortable with. It’s one thing to say it, but we have guys that can do it.“
Promising Signs from Lachance & Hameenaho
Devils’ prospects Shane Lachance and Lenni Hameenaho both returned from injury for their first preseason contests. They both exceeded expectations.
The 6-foot-5 Lachance made a name for himself at Boston University by earning gritty goals around the net. For him to do exactly that was promising…but it wasn’t just the goal that stood out. He led all forwards with six hits, plus led the entire team in high danger chances (2). When he was on the ice, overall scoring chances were 7-2 in favor of the Devils.
“It was good to get out there and get my first test of NHL hockey, and hopefully keep going from there,” said Lachance postgame.
While Hameenaho was held off the scoresheet, his speed and shot were noticeable. Just like the whole team, he started off slow but really started to turn up the pace as the game carried on. He also showed NHL-caliber defensive responsibility and poise, as the team out-chanced the Caps 3-1 with him on the ice.
For a 6-foot-1 forward getting their first taste of the NHL, he did not shy away from physicality either, notching four hits which trailed only Lachance among forwards.
“He plays with size,” said Colliton. “Whether it’s puck protection, or today getting on the forecheck, you can make an impact that way. And again, it’s his first game, so you know that he’s only going to evolve as we go. It was nice to see.”
Return to Action
The Devils will likely make some cuts before getting back into action against the New York Rangers, Thursday night at Madison Square Garden (7:00 PM EDT). That’ll be their second-to-last preseason contest.
