Declan Chisholm picked a good time to land his first goal in a Devils sweater.
His power-play strike at 12:33 of the second period broke a tight game and sent New Jersey on its way to a 4-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night. Jake Allen did the rest, stopping 31 shots as the Devils held off a late push and bounced back from a 4-2 loss at Washington.
New Jersey got goals from Luke Evangelista, Arseny Gritsyuk and Jesper Boqvist as well, with Boqvist’s empty-netter at 16:05 of the third period looking like the final insurance the Devils needed. It nearly was, but Colorado kept making things interesting down the stretch.
Evangelista started the scoring at 6:40 of the first period with his third goal, giving New Jersey an early edge. Gabriel Landeskog answered at 14:32 with his fourth of the season, and the teams went into the middle period even after trading first-period goals.
Then Chisholm stepped in. The goal gave the Devils the lead for good and marked his first for the club.
Allen, honored before puck drop for playing his 500th career game earlier this month, improved to 4-2-0. The 34-year-old kept Colorado from fully cashing in on several chances, and New Jersey needed every bit of that work once the Avalanche made their push late.
Artturi Lehkonen scored twice in the final minutes for Colorado, first at 16:46 and then again with 3.5 seconds left to finish with his team-leading eighth goal. Artturi's late burst narrowed the gap, but it came too late to change the result.
Arseny Gritsyuk added his fourth goal at 4:39 of the third period to give the Devils some breathing room before Boqvist’s empty-netter. New Jersey won for the fourth time in six home games.
Scott Wedgewood turned aside 37 shots for Colorado against his former team. He entered the night 5-0-0 with a 1.52 goals-against average versus the Devils, but this time the Avalanche came up short for the third time in four games after Monday’s 3-2 loss at Philadelphia.
There was also a milestone on the Colorado blue line. Brent Burns played in his 1,015th consecutive game, leaving him 49 games shy of tying Phil Kessel for the NHL ironman record. Burns has appeared in 1,589 career games.
Up next, the Avalanche host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday, while the Devils welcome the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.
In Other News...
Devils Suddenly Have A New Path To A Superstar Trade
The Devils spent the offseason doing what contenders usually do when they believe their window is open: they reshaped the roster with a mix of trades and signings, including the addition of Luke Evangelista and new deals for key returning players. It was the kind of business that signaled New Jersey is trying to keep pace now, not just later, and it has left the front office with a group that looks a little deeper and a little more flexible heading into the season.
Now another wrinkle has surfaced, and it has to do with a player who would change the conversation in a hurry. Dylan Larkin reportedly broadened the list of teams he would consider if Detroit continues to explore options, and the Devils are among the clubs now mentioned. Nothing about that makes a deal imminent, but it does give New Jersey a fresh potential avenue to chase a star-caliber upgrade if the opportunity ever turns real. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Suddenly Have Two Trade Storylines Fans Cant Ignore
Brenden Dillons absence from the Devils lineup in recent games has only added to the sense that New Jersey may be heading toward a real roster decision on the blue line. League chatter has centered on whether a defense-needy team could come calling, and Dillons contract situation matters here too, especially after his no-trade clause limited movement last season.
The other storyline is even more intriguing from a Devils perspective: Dylan Larkins 10-team trade list reportedly includes New Jersey, putting the club in the mix as talks continue around possible multi-team trade scenarios. Even if nothing is close, the fact that the Devils keep surfacing in both conversations says plenty about how active this market could become and how much the front office may still be weighing before the deadline picture sharpens. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Got An Early Look At A Devils Problem Already Brewing
The Devils have been trying to find some stability in the opening weeks of the 2026-27 season, and the results have reflected the unevenness Sheldon Keefe has talked around rather than through. New Jersey is 5-4-0, and the early stretch has already prompted lineup shuffling, including the decision to scratch veteran defenseman Brenden Dillon for four games as the staff tries to increase Johnathan Kovacevics workload and keep developing Declan Chisholm.
Recent returns have helped on the margins, with Luke Evangelista and Connor Brown both back in the lineup, and Evangelista made an immediate impact against the Colorado Avalanche with a goal and an assist. Even so, the larger concern for New Jersey is still hanging there: the Devils have enough talent to win games, but not yet the kind of nightly consistency that lets them settle into a rhythm, and the tweaks around the blue line suggest Keefe is still searching for the right balance. [Read more 🡒]