Jack Hughes Propels Devils to 4-3 Overtime Win Against Avalanche

On Sunday, Oct. 26, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Colorado Avalanche in the final contest of their three-game homestand. The Devils fought to keep their win streak alive, while the Avalanche attempted to bounce back from a 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday night. The afternoon showdown resulted in a 4-3 overtime victory for the Devils.

Game Recap

The Devils struck first, with two early goals less than a minute apart. Arseni Gritsyuk gave the team a 1-0 lead with his second goal of the season, assisted by Timo Meier. Then, just 39 seconds later, Jack Hughes fired one past Trent Miner with the help of Simon Nemec. 

But it didn’t take long for the Avalanche to respond. Valeri Nichushkin got Colorado on the board, cutting their deficit down to one goal. Five minutes later, Nathan MacKinnon took advantage of a bouncing puck in front of the net, tying the game at the end of the first period.

To start the second, the Devils were down to just five defensemen, since Brett Pesce did not return to the bench after being caught with a high stick. Seven minutes into the second period, Brock Nelson was called for a tripping penalty. Less than a minute later, Meier was called for high-sticking. Neither team was able to score in the resulting power plays or 4-on-4.

Connor Brown regained the lead for the Devils on a breakaway, scoring the only goal of the second. Heading into the third period, New Jersey had a 3-2 lead.

The final 20 minutes of the game were filled with prime scoring chances at both ends of the ice. Brock Nelson tied the game at three with six minutes left in regulation, on a centering pass from Ross Colton.

They knew it was over before the puck even got to his stick. pic.twitter.com/ml8xkXA5KT

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) October 26, 2025

Even though this was the first time the Devils went to overtime in 2025-26, it didn’t take long for them to call game. Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal less than two minutes into overtime, on a feed from Simon Nemec. Goaltender Jake Allen stopped 21 out of 24 shots against, propelling the team to their eighth consecutive victory.

Looking Ahead

The Devils and the Avalanche will face each other again in a late-night matchup on Tuesday, this time at Ball Arena. The action will begin at 9:00 PM EDT, kicking off a four-game road trip for the Devils.