On Sunday night, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Buffalo Sabres at Prudential Center, looking to extend their win streak to three straight games. They welcomed a few familiar faces back into the lineup as the two teams faced off for the second time this season. In the end, it was the Sabres who came out on top, silencing the home crowd with a 3-1 victory.
Jack Hughes Is Back!
On Sunday morning, Devils fans received a Christmas miracle a few days early. After missing 18 games following a “freak” accident at a team dinner that required surgery, Jack Hughes made his long-awaited return to the Devils’ bench.
It didn’t take long for him to have the home crowd on their feet — his first shot on goal found the back of the net. Hughes lit the lamp 8:51 into the first period, on a feed from Dawson Mercer.
WELCOME BACK, JACK! pic.twitter.com/eXkBvkn6nR
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) December 22, 2025
His impact for the Devils cannot be understated. There’s no denying that the team has struggled without his speed, stickhandling, and creative playmaking. For almost the entirety of his absence, Hughes remained the club’s leading goal scorer. And after just one game back, he’s reclaimed the title, tied with Timo Meier at 11 goals apiece.
Hughes wasn’t the only player who returned to action against the Sabres. Meier came back after taking a leave of absence for a family health matter, while Arseny Gritsyuk missed the last four games due to an upper-body injury. At long last, their roster is inching its way toward full strength.
Second Period Struggles
Once again, the Devils struggled to play a full 60 minutes. They came out swinging during the first period, outshooting the Sabres 12-9 and creating prime scoring opportunities. After 20 minutes of play, they also led in unblocked shot attempts (14) and high-danger scoring chances (three).
But despite scoring the opening goal, their struggles came to a head in the second. They allowed the Sabres to tie the game just 2:26 into the second period, then tally a second goal to take the lead. Not only that, but the Devils also recorded half as many shots on goal throughout the period (six).
After 40 minutes, New Jersey trailed in more ways than one, failing to capitalize on their only power play of the evening. They were kept off the scoreboard by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, as their special teams’ rough patch continued.
Related: Sabres Rally Past Devils for Sixth-Straight Win
In his postgame interview, Jesper Bratt attributed the team’s struggles to a combination of lacking speed and urgency. “In the first period, we did a pretty good job of staying above them, making them defend. By the second period, we played a little slower, we had some turnovers, we didn’t win the battles, and we spent a little more time in our zone,” said Bratt.
Brighter Things Ahead?
Despite the loss, there were still a few bright spots for the Devils. They managed to score the first goal of the game — a feat they’ve only achieved three times so far in December. There were no goals scored after Hughes’s initial shot, but not for lack of trying. Meier fired a whopping seven shots on goal in his first game back, including a nifty move in front of the net that almost resulted in a goal off the rebound for Bratt.
All in all, the Devils played a strong first period, but it just wasn’t enough to pull off a win — especially against a team that already had the momentum of a five-game win streak behind them. When speaking to the media afterwards, head coach Sheldon Keefe commended their initial effort, but claimed that there was a lack of drive in the second and third periods. “We were very casual and easy around our net front…In all areas, we just didn’t have the necessary competitiveness and urgency,” said Keefe.
The night also marked important milestones for a few Devils. Luke Glendening played in his 900th NHL game, while Colton White dressed for the 100th game of his career.
Moving Forward
The Devils will play their final game before the holiday break on the road against the New York Islanders Tuesday night at UBS Arena.
