Connor Hellebuyck picked up right where New Jersey needed him, turning aside 23 shots and posting his first shutout in a Devils sweater as they rolled past the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 on Sunday night.
The win extended a scorching stretch for New Jersey, which has now taken nine of its last 10 and improved to 13-5-0. Hellebuyck, acquired from the Winnipeg Jets last month after demanding a trade, also became the first goalie in franchise history to win each of his first five games with the club. It was his first shutout of the season and the 46th of his NHL career.
Timo Meier did the heavy lifting offensively with two goals, while Nico Hischier added a goal and an assist. Connor Brown finished things off with an empty-netter, and Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each chipped in two assists.
Toronto never found a way through Anthony Stolarz, who stopped 25 shots, but the loss was another step backward for a team that has now dropped three straight and five of its last six in regulation.
The game stayed tight until the second period, when Meier broke the deadlock at 8:28 after he was left alone in front off an offensive-zone faceoff. He struck again with 7:16 left in the period, this time getting a fortunate bounce when a Hughes shot deflected off him and slipped past Stolarz.
New Jersey put it away early in the third. Hischier converted on the power play at 9:49 to make it 3-0, then Brown sealed it with the empty-net goal. Hischier’s assist on Meier’s first goal also put him in a special place in the record book, making him the third Swiss-born player in NHL history to reach 500 career points, joining Roman Josi (799) and Kevin Fiala (528).
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 scheduled to be enshrined in the player category Monday, while Brian Burke will be inducted as a builder.
The Devils head to Winnipeg on Tuesday night, and general manager Sunny Mehta said Sunday night that Hellebuyck will not play in that game. Toronto returns home to face Colorado on Tuesday night.
In Other News...
New Jersey Powerhouse Loses Its Coach At The Worst Possible Time
Karen Andersons milestone night at Paul VI ended up carrying a much bigger consequence than the celebration suggested. After the victory that gave her 100th career win, a video surfaced showing the coach opening a bottle, believed to be champagne, on school property, and the school along with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association confirmed a one-game suspension tied to rules barring alcohol involvement during or after games on campus.
The timing could hardly be worse, with the suspension set to keep Anderson off the sideline for a critical state playoff semifinal. For a program that had just reached a meaningful coaching milestone, the focus has now shifted from the celebration to how Paul VI handles one of its biggest games of the season without the woman who has guided it there. [Read more 🡒]
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For New Jersey, the fine is a reminder of how often Hischier absorbs the kind of attention that goes beyond normal playoff-style physicality, even in a regular-season game. Stanleys punishment was the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement, which will do little to satisfy Devils supporters who wanted a stronger response after seeing their captain targeted in a tight divisional matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Hughes Just Gave Devils Fans A New Rivalry To Watch
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For a team that prides itself on speed and skill, the scrap added an edge that fit the moment and seemed to jolt the bench as the Devils pushed their way back into the game. It also gave this matchup a little more bite going forward, with Hughes now tied to a new kind of edge in a rivalry that already has enough emotion to keep drawing attention. [Read more 🡒]