The New Jersey Devils (8-3-0) traveled to California to face the Los Angeles Kings (5-3-4) on Saturday night. Darcy Kuemper manned his net while Jacob Markstrom stood tall for the Devils. The Kings brought out their third alternate jerseys, donning a classic black and silver emblem. Ultimately, New Jersey added two points, leaving the Kings to adjust their strategies and look to their next matchup against the Winnipeg Jets on home ice on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
First Period Showdown
A fast-paced opening period gave the Kings plenty of scoring opportunities; however, they were unable to capitalize on any of their chances. At the 18:38 mark, Devils captain Nico Hischier scored his third of the season, giving his team a 1-0 lead.
After many unsuccessful attempts by the Kings, they were unable to tip the puck into Markstrom’s net. New Jersey maintained a strong defense and transitioned smoothly to set up the play. As the first period wound down, the Kings headed into the locker room one goal down.
Devils Lead 2-0
In the second period, Jack Hughes stepped up, blocking several of the Kings’ shot attempts. However, at the 16:48 mark, Brian Halonen broke through with a wrist shot to net his first goal of the 2025-26 season, putting New Jersey ahead 2-0. The Kings struggled to create clean passing advantages, often turning the puck over to the opposing team. Despite outshooting the Devils 22-17, Los Angeles struggled to score. Sloppy puck management remained an issue as the Devils capitalized on nearly every mistake Los Angeles made. The Kings found themselves searching for answers and better scoring opportunities as the period came to a close.
Kings Unable to Bounce Back
Dawson Mercer opened the third period with a shorthanded goal at 16:51, extending the Devils’ lead to 3-0. Finally, the Kings broke through as Andrei Kuzmenko netted his third of the season at 10:11, breaking Markstrom’s shutout. The Devils continued to pressure Los Angeles in the final 20 minutes. Dougie Hamilton tripped Kuzmenko, sending him to his knees and giving the Kings a chance to retaliate. With 4:20 remaining, Kuemper was pulled for an extra attacker on the power play, but the Devils struck again. Mercer added a shorthanded empty-net goal to claim the two points. The Kings fell 4-1, as New Jersey dominated both ends of the ice.
