The New Jersey Devils had a busy weekend with back-to-back games against the Dallas Stars (a 4-2 loss) at home on Saturday and a visit to the Nashville Predators on Sunday. Despite having to travel, the Devils were in prime form against the Predators, walking away with a 5-0 victory.
Daws Earns First NHL Career Shutout
With Jacob Markstrom injured, Nico Daws has been Jake Allen’s backup. Last night, he earned his first NHL shutout, stopping all 29 shots he faced. One goal did squeak past the goal line, but the Devils challenged for offside and the goal was disallowed. In his last four seasons with the Utica Comets, Daws has earned four shutouts.
Daws has only played in two other games for the Devils this season. On Feb. 2, he finished the game against the Buffalo Sabres for Allen, stopping all seven shots during the third period for a 1.00 save percentage (SV%). He played the full game on Feb. 4 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, stopping 27 shots and allowing two goals. He stopped two shots in overtime as the Devils pulled out the win.
With an SV% of .968, Daws has been stellar in three games with the team this season. He has bounced between the AHL and the NHL in recent seasons, but he has been great in Markstrom’s absence in 2024-25.
Casey With an Incredible Goal
While Jonas Siegenthaler is still recovering from injury, the Devils have been searching for the right defenseman to fill his role. They might now have found it in Seamus Casey, who scored an incredible goal 14 minutes into the second period. Jack Hughes sent a pass that bounced off the boards to Luke Hughes, who recovered the puck and sent a pass to Casey at the blue line, who let the puck fly, and it hit the back of the net.
Related: Nico Daws Propels Devils to 5-0 Win Over Predators
Casey has played nine games with the Devils this season, his first in the NHL. With four goals and five points, he is showing his potential. This is also Casey’s first season with the Utica Comets. In 22 games, he has 15 points via three goals and twelve assists. Between him and Daws, the Devils’ future is bright.
Five Devils Scored
On top of Casey, four other Devils found the back of the net. Dougie Hamilton’s second goal of the game got all the buzz. He received a pass from Nico Hischier behind the net. Hamilton let the puck fly from the boards, where it found the top corner of the net for his ninth of the season.
Another surprising goal came from Tomas Tatar for his fourth of the season. Hischier had control of the puck in the face-off circle and sent a pass to Tatar. He got control and skated towards the middle of the ice. He took a shot to the left of Justus Annunen to score the fifth and final goal of the night.
With constant drives to the net, the Devils put in a full team effort. They didn’t let the Predators capitalize on any opportunities to secure Daws’ first NHL shutout.
Several Devils Reached Milestones
Ondrej Palat and Hamilton reached 500 career points on Palat’s opening goal. Hamilton took a shot on net, but Annunen made a pad save. L. Hughes picked up the rebound, sending it across the goal for Palat, who tipped the puck into the net.
J. Hughes and Jesper Bratt didn’t score on Sunday, but they each earned assists. Bratt’s assist on Hamilton’s goal extended his assist streak to ten games for the longest assist streak in franchise history. Hughes’ assist on Casey’s goal gave him a ten-game road point streak, also the longest in franchise history.
Devils Heading West
The Devils have a little time to adjust to the time change before they take on the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
