The New Jersey Devils traveled to Texas on Tuesday, March 4, to face the Dallas Stars. Although the game was a nail-biter at the end, the Stars scored the final goal of the night with just four seconds left on the clock. The Stars took the victory 4-3 and swept the season series against the Devils.
Injuries are Getting to Them
The Devils have already been dealing with injuries, and it appears another came about in the game last night. Late into the first period, Dougie Hamilton collided with Dallas player Mason Marchment. Hamilton was sent into the boards hard. He was limping off the ice, so it appeared that he had injured one of his legs. Hamilton finished the remaining two minutes of the first period on the bench, but he did not return for the rest of the game. The Devils finished the last two periods of the game with only five defensemen on the ice.
The Devils are already down a defenseman in Jonas Siegenthaler. He last played a game with the Devils on Feb. 4 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He sustained an undisclosed lower-body injury in this game and has not played since. He is currently on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). Since the Devils are already down a strong defenseman in Siegenthaler, they cannot afford to lose Hamilton at this time, either.
Related: Devils’ Luke Hughes Reportedly ‘Emotional’ After Brother Jack’s Injury
Not only is the defense struggling, but the forwards are too. This game against the Stars was the first of the 2024-25 season that Jack Hughes had to miss. He sustained an upper-body injury against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, March 2. He is still being evaluated; there is no update on his injury yet.
Only time will tell about Hamilton and Hughes’ injuries. Hopefully, they both recover quickly and will be back on the ice with the team soon.
Strong Third Period, But It Wasn’t Enough
Despite starting the third period with a two-goal deficit, the Devils brought the game to a tie.
With seven minutes left in the game, Jesper Bratt sent a pass to Luke Hughes at the blue line. He took a hard shot, which Nico Hischier was able to tip into the net.
With four minutes left in the game, the Devils drew a delayed penalty. They went on the extra man advantage, which ended up being beneficial. Jesper Bratt sent the puck down the ice to Timo Meier. Meier sent it across to where both Hischier and Brett Pesce attempted to gain control of it. Pesce was the winner here. He settled the puck on his stick and let it fly once he saw the opportunity to tie the game.
The Devils weren’t letting Dallas win easily, and they proved that in the third period. Unfortunately, the Stars scored a buzzer-beater goal to prevent the game from going into overtime. The Devils could have used that extra point that overtime would have afforded them.
Playoff Contention Is Looking Grim
The Devils had a comfortable lead in the playoff standings earlier this season. That margin is growing smaller by the day.
New Jersey currently sits in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 72 points. The Devils were previously in second place, but now the Carolina Hurricanes hold that spot with 76 points.
The wild card teams are beginning to close in on New Jersey. The Columbus Blue Jackets are in the first wild card spot with 68 points, and the New York Rangers are in the second spot with 66 points. The Devils only have four points separating them from the first team, and six points from the second.
In their last ten games, New Jersey has recorded four wins and six losses. They are currently on a two-game losing streak. The Devils must get back into the win column fast if they wish to keep their current playoff spot. The playoff race is getting closer by the day.
Back Home
The Devils will head back home, where they will host the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, March 7.
