Connor Hellebuyck didn’t just beat the Maple Leafs on Sunday night. He shut the door completely.
The New Jersey goaltender turned aside 23 shots for his first shutout in a Devils sweater, and New Jersey rolled out of Toronto with a 4-0 win. Timo Meier powered the attack with two goals, Nico Hischier added a goal and an assist, and Connor Brown finished things off with an empty-netter as the Devils kept humming with their ninth win in their last 10 games.
Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each picked up two assists, giving New Jersey plenty of help around Hellebuyck’s clean sheet. For Hellebuyck, the night carried a little more history too: acquired from the Winnipeg Jets last month, he became the first goaltender in franchise history to win each of his first five games with the club.
Toronto never found much traction against him. Anthony Stolarz made 25 saves, but the Maple Leafs dropped their third straight and have now lost five of their last six in regulation.
Meier broke the game open in the second period, scoring at 8:28 after he was left alone in front following an offensive-zone faceoff. He struck again at 12:44 when a Hughes shot changed direction off Meier and slipped past Stolarz to make it 2-0.
The Devils added more separation in the third. Hischier scored on the power play at 9:49, and Brown sealed it into the empty net.
Before the puck dropped, the Hockey Hall of Fame’s class of 2026 was recognized. Carey Price, Patrice Bergeron, Pekka Rinne, Keith Tkachuk and Cindy Curley are set to be enshrined in the player category Monday, while Brian Burke will go in as a builder.
Toronto was already shorthanded on the blue line, with veteran defencemen Morgan Rielly and Chris Tanev both out. Jack Roslovic was a late scratch with a lower-body injury even though he skated in warm-ups, and Colton Sissons did not return after the second period with the same designation.
For New Jersey, the night also set up a return trip to Winnipeg for Hellebuyck, who will face the Jets on Tuesday after demanding a trade that led to the move to New Jersey on Oct. 23.
Hischier’s assist on Meier’s first goal also pushed him into a notable statistical club. He became the third Swiss-born player in NHL history to reach 500 career points, joining Roman Josi (799) and Kevin Fiala (528).
The Devils head to Winnipeg next. The Maple Leafs stay home to meet the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
In Other News...
Devils Just Handed Riley Tufte A Chance Fans Have Waited On
An injury to Anthony Mantha opened the door for the Devils to make a move on November 9, and Riley Tufte was the one summoned from Utica. The call-up gives New Jersey a look at a big-bodied power forward who has shown he can bring some scoring touch, while also offering the kind of presence the bottom six has been built to absorb in Manthas absence.
Tufte is not arriving as a blank slate, either. He has already appeared in 28 NHL games and has spent much of his time in the AHL as a steady scorer and a leader, which is part of why this promotion matters beyond just filling a temporary roster spot. For a Devils team looking to keep its depth intact, the question now is how quickly Tufte can translate that lower-level production into the role the club has carved out for him. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Send A Clear Lineup Signal Before A Tough Winnipeg Test
With the Devils heading into a difficult matchup against the Winnipeg Jets, the club made a roster move that suggests it wants a little more depth and flexibility up front. New Jersey recalled forward Riley Tufte from its AHL affiliate ahead of the game, a call-up that comes at a time when the team is trying to keep its lineup sharp against a heavy opponent.
The move lands in a stretch where injuries are already forcing other teams to shuffle their rosters, with the Rangers losing defenseman Alberts Smits for several weeks and the Blue Jackets waiting on the timeline for Conor Garlands upper-body injury. For the Devils, the Tufte recall is less about the headlines elsewhere and more about what it says about how they plan to manage a demanding test in Winnipeg, where every available body can matter. [Read more 🡒]
Auston Matthews Sends A Frustrated Message After Devils Loss
The Devils 4-0 win over Toronto did more than add another result to the standings. It pushed the Maple Leafs deeper into an early-season slide, with the loss stretching their skid to three straight and leaving them at 8-9-2 after a stretch in which they have dropped five of six. With injuries already complicating the picture, captain Auston Matthews and head coach Jim Hiller both pointed to the same issue afterward: the group needs more accountability and a better collective effort.
For New Jersey, it was the kind of complete performance that can expose where an opponent is still searching for answers. For Toronto, the concern is less about one bad night than the larger trend, especially with the team already trying to manage absences and keep pace in the standings. Matthews frustration was clear, and the message coming out of the locker room was just as plain, even if the fix is still a moving target. [Read more 🡒]