The Vegas Golden Knights didn’t get the result they wanted Friday night, but they did get a reminder of how dangerous New Jersey can be when the game starts tilting the other way. Connor Hellebuyck came back to The Fortress with his new team, the New Jersey Devils, and left with a 5-2 win. Vegas answered with goals from Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev, but Adin Hill’s night went in the wrong direction fast after one of his better outings just a few days earlier.
The biggest bright spot for Vegas came from Mitch Marner, who kept his point streak rolling to nine games. He missed the Golden Knights’ two-game road trip, then returned against Ottawa and picked up an assist.
Against the Devils, he added two more helpers and now sits at 15 points in October, with two goals and 13 assists. During this nine-game run, Vegas has gone 6-3-0, which shows how central he’s been to the offense.
At the same time, the Golden Knights are 2-0-0 in the two games he hasn’t recorded a point.
Hill’s night was the kind that can swing a game in a hurry. After posting a .962 SV% against the Senators, he dropped to .871 against New Jersey.
His record still sits at 5-2-0, but his overall save percentage ranks 30th in the league. Hellebuyck, meanwhile, has played only two games and already owns a .923 SV%.
Vegas did beat him twice, but he was steady enough to keep the Devils in control while Hill allowed a few soft ones and was forced into several scrambling saves.
The Golden Knights also let a strong opening slip away. They actually led 2-1 before the first period ended, which is a change from some of their earlier nights this season, but New Jersey tied it before the horn.
Vegas held a narrow 8-7 edge in shots in the first period, then the game turned. The Devils took over the middle frame with two goals and a 16-7 shot advantage, and by the third period the Golden Knights were chasing from two goals down.
They managed just six shots on goal in the final period, while New Jersey added nine more shots and another goal.
Even with the loss, Vegas didn’t back down physically. The Golden Knights finished with 36 hits and blocked 15 shots, but the Devils still found a way to pull away.
The weekend now belongs to the schedule, not the scoreboard. Vegas gets a few days off before heading to New England for a Monday matchup with the Boston Bruins, the first of four games through the Atlantic Division to open November.
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Golden Knights Just Helped Create A Devils Lineup Concern
New Jerseys strong start to the 2026-27 season has given Sheldon Keefe plenty to like, with the Devils opening October at 9-5-0 and then winning five of their last six. The club has also gotten an immediate lift from newly acquired goaltender Hellebuyck, who is undefeated in his first two starts and has already drawn praise from Martin Brodeur, giving the roster a steadier look as the schedule settles in.
But the trip through Vegas left a new concern hanging over the lineup. Anthony Mantha exited the game with an undisclosed injury after a collision with Noah Hanifin sent him crashing into the net, and Keefe said the forward will need a full evaluation once the team gets back to New Jersey. For a Devils group trying to build on its early momentum, the question now is whether one of its recent contributors will be available when the attention shifts back home. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Give Young Blue-Line Prospect A Fresh NHL Look
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Kmec, 22, has been one of the more intriguing blue-line prospects in the system, drawing attention for the promise he has shown in both his professional and junior career. Heinola, meanwhile, had been bouncing between the NHL and AHL this season, and this latest shuffle gives the Golden Knights another look at a younger defender who has been building toward a bigger opportunity. [Read more 🡒]