On Sunday afternoon, with a large majority of their fans snowed in, the New Jersey Devils looked to continue their perfect road trip with a matchup against the Seattle Kraken. However, all-too-familiar lack of finishing/timely saves contributed to their demise as they fell 4-2.
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Dougie Hamilton’s Surge Continues
When Dougie Hamilton was a healthy scratch two weeks ago, some pondered whether he’d ever suit up in a Devils uniform again. And then once he re-entered the lineup just one game later, some wondered how an already-struggling Hamilton would perform with tons of trade-related rumors circling around.
It’s safe to say: It lit a spark in him. After having nine points in his first 39 games, his power play goal tonight marked his ninth point in the following eight games. Talk about a turnaround.
Dougie Hamilton is on a SEVEN game point streak since his scratching 😳🚨 pic.twitter.com/jkqpdtoD7s
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 25, 2026
It wasn’t just the goal that made Hamilton stand out; with him on the ice today, the Devils out-chanced Seattle 8-0. In fact, since Jan. 8, the Devils have a plus-29 high danger chance differential and a plus-5 goal differential with him on the ice.
He’s been noticeably better defensively, too: the Devils have allowed just 0.88 goals per 60 minutes (GF/60) during that span. That’s by far the best among the team’s defensemen; Jonas Siegenthaler is second at 1.75 GF/60. (via Natural Stat Trick)
Keefe’s Faith in Markstrom Backfires
It’s been a roller coaster ride of a season for Jacob Markstrom, who has looked great at times but struggled to remain consistent. After a rough showing in Vancouver, head coach Sheldon Keefe opted to go right back to him, telling NJD.TV, “Marky wasn’t really happy with his game the other day. Despite that, he’s won four of his last five starts. This is a chance for him to get right back at it today against a team we played not too long ago,”
It’s the type of move where you’re a genius if it works. But unfortunately for the Devils, it didn’t. Markstrom stopped just 15 of 18 (.833%) — a lower save percentage than the game in Vancouver. While Seattle’s first goal was a flukey bounce, they later scored two in 18 seconds.
Per Moneypuck, each of those had a 1.2% and 7.5% chance of being a goal, respectively, bringing his total for the game to minus-2.6 goals saved above expected. For the season, Markstrom’s save percentage now stands at .879%.
Not Enough Goal Scoring
Even with the recent improved scoring from the Devils’ new-look fourth line, they haven’t been scoring enough overall. In four games on the trip, the win over Vancouver was the only one where they scored more than twice.
Today, they scored just twice — both on the power play — and were shut out at even strength despite generating 1.96 expected goals. On the trip, not one of the “core four” — Timo Meier, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes — scored at even strength.
Since Jan. 1, Bratt has three even-strength goals, while Meier and Hischier have one each. Hughes doesn’t have any.
Moving Forward
The Devils — now 27-23-2 — will look to bounce back on Tuesday night as they return home to face the Winnipeg Jets (7:00 PM EST).
