On Jan. 1, only one game was played in the NHL. The Los Angeles Kings hosted the New Jersey Devils for the first game in 2025. It was the Kings who prevailed on home ice, beating the Devils in a 3-0 shutout win.
Game Recap
The first period was a slow start for each team. The only moments of note were Paul Cotter earning a minor penalty for hooking Quinton Byfield and Anze Kopitar getting his first penalty of the season for holding Luke Hughes. The Devils took 15 shots on net while the Kings took eight. The Devils had better puck control throughout the first, but neither team was able to score on their chances.
With 6:23 on the clock in the second period, the Kings opened the scoring between the two teams. Jacob Moverare passed to Jordan Spence, who sent the puck up toward the neutral zone. Andre Lee grabbed hold of the puck and was able to skate ahead of the two Devils who flanked him. He got up to the goal and shot it into the back of the net to score the first goal of his NHL career. Six minutes later, Timo Meier was able to tie things up for the Devils. Unfortunately for them, the goal was disqualified due to goaltender interference. With each team just earning another two-minute penalty, there was still 20 more minutes of work to be done; it was still anyone’s game.
Early into the third, the Devils went on their third power play of the night. Alex Turcotte was sent to the box after tripping L. Hughes. Once again, they were not able to benefit from the man advantage. Shortly after that, the Devils were able to get an extra man advantage. Cotter was sent to the box for roughing Brandt Clarke. In the middle of their man advantage, Byfield was called on his second penalty of the night for tripping Brett Pesce. With this call, it was time for some 4-on-4 hockey for a minute and 16 seconds. Despite a fantastic chance by the Kings towards the end of the 4-on-4, Jake Allen had other plans and made an excellent glove save. As the Devils’ 41 seconds of power play time came to an end, the Kings put another point up on the scoreboard. Mikey Anderson got ahold of the puck in the Devils zone and passed it up to the Kings zone where it was caught by Warren Foegle. Byfield shot up the ice towards the front of the net. Foegle passed to Byfield, who shot the puck and scored the second goal of the game for the Kings.
The Devils were already down two, so in an attempt to try and make a comeback, they pulled their goalie. The Kings were the only ones to benefit from this, though, scoring an empty net goal. L. Hughes whiffed a shot at the net, and Anderson was able to recover the missed shot. He passed to Foegle who in turn sent the puck over to Adrian Kempe. Kempe took a shot from the center of the ice and the puck hit its mark in the back of the empty goal. The Devils had another chance to make a comeback when Turcotte was sent to the box on a double minor for high-sticking Ondrej Palat. Despite this, it didn’t matter as the Devils were unable to score, even with a 6-on-4 advantage. The Kings reigned victorious in this Jan. 1 match.
Next Games
The Kings and the Devils each have a break and look to get back into fighting shape on Saturday, Jan. 4. The Devils look to break a three-game losing streak when they face off against the San Jose Sharks during this West Coast trip. The Kings look to keep up their momentum when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning.
