So, if you were hoping for a celebration at the Prudential Center, I’ve got some tough news. The New Jersey Devils didn't pull it off. They lost 4-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night, January 17, 2026.
Honestly, it was a rough watch if you’re a Devils fan. The energy in the building was there, but the execution? Not so much. Carolina is a wagon right now, and they proved it by basically suffocating New Jersey’s offense for most of the night.
Did the New Jersey Devils win last night or lose the momentum?
The short answer is they lost. Hard.
The bigger story here isn't just the final score, but how it went down. The Devils came into this game with a bit of a spark, having won two in a row, including that solid victory over Seattle. But the Hurricanes are a different beast. They were coming off a ridiculous 9-1 blowout of Florida just 24 hours earlier. You’d think they’d be tired. They weren't.
Andrei Svechnikov was the absolute nightmare of the evening. He netted a hat trick—his fourth career three-goal game—and it felt like every time the Devils tried to build a little momentum, he was there to snatch it back.
The scoring breakdown
It was a scoreless tie for a long time. Over half the game, actually. Then the dam broke in the second period:
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- 13:12 of the 2nd: Svechnikov scores. 1-0 Canes.
- 14:09 of the 2nd: Svechnikov scores again. Just 57 seconds later. 2-0 Canes.
New Jersey tried to make it a game in the third. Timo Meier finally broke his six-game point drought with a power-play goal early in the final frame. For a second, it felt like a comeback was brewing. Then Jackson Blake (who has been surprisingly good this year) scored for Carolina to make it 3-1. Svechnikov finished the hat trick into an empty net later on.
Why the Devils struggled against the Hurricanes
Jacob Markstrom was in net for New Jersey, and you can’t really pin this one on him. He stopped 31 of 35 shots. The problem was the lack of support.
When you look at the stats, the Devils were outshot 35-30. That doesn't look terrible on paper, but the "high-danger" chances were almost all in Carolina's favor. Sebastian Aho was slicing through the neutral zone like it was practice, picking up three assists along the way.
The Devils are now 4-8-1 since mid-December. That is... not great. They’ve slipped to seventh in the Metropolitan Division, and the hill is getting steeper.
What most people get wrong about the Devils' current slump
A lot of fans are pointing at the goaltending, but Markstrom is actually keeping them in games they have no business being in. The real issue is the secondary scoring. If Jack Hughes or Jesper Bratt aren't highlight-reeling their way to a win, the depth just isn't showing up consistently enough.
Timo Meier getting that goal last night is a small win, at least. He’s had a monster shot volume lately—seven shots last night alone—but the puck just hasn't been finding the back of the net. If he gets hot, the season might still have a pulse.
What’s next for New Jersey?
They don't have long to lick their wounds. The Devils are heading out on a tough Western Canada road trip.
- Monday, Jan 19: At Calgary Flames (9:00 PM EST)
- Tuesday, Jan 20: At Edmonton Oilers (10:00 PM EST)
- Friday, Jan 23: At Vancouver Canucks (10:00 PM EST)
Going into Calgary and Edmonton back-to-back is a brutal way to try and find your rhythm. If you're tracking the standings, keep an eye on that Calgary game. Markstrom returning to his old stomping grounds usually brings some extra fire.
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Actionable Insight for Fans:
If you're betting or playing fantasy, keep an eye on Timo Meier. His "Expected Goals" are way higher than his actual output right now. Last night's goal might be the lid coming off the jar. Also, if the Devils don't take at least four points out of this three-game road trip, expect the trade rumors around the deadline to start getting very loud, very fast.
Check the late-night scores on Monday to see if they can spoil Markstrom's homecoming in Calgary.