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Pre-Scout: Devils finish back-to-back against Oilers after OT win
Jan 19, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; New Jersey Devils players celebrate win over the Calgary Flames during the overtime period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Michael Menzies
Jan 20, 2026, 09:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 20, 2026, 10:00 EST
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While the Edmonton Oilers‘ cushy homestand started with a bang on Sunday night against the St. Louis Blues in a 5-0 walloping, this week’s three games are all against teams that played the Calgary Flames the night before. Enter first, the New Jersey Devils. 
Simon Nemec scored his eighth goal of the season in a poised play in front of Devin Cooley to seal a 2-1 overtime victory, on a saucy pass from Jack Hughes. 
That kicks off New Jersey’s four-game roadtrip with a much-needed win. 
“Call it a goal-scorer’s goal,” said head coach Sheldon Keefe post-game. “A lot of guys might just smash that into the goaltender, but great poise under pressure. Big goal and very well played by him, for sure.”
New Jersey is now 9-2 this season in games decided in overtime or the shootout. Along with feasting on the Western Conference, it’s one of the areas that can keep them believing, because it’s been a hard year. 

‘Accountability’

Expectations were high for this team in the fall. Scorned by injuries and being knocked out with a whimper against Carolina in the playoffs, renewed optimism reigned in Newark, especially with glimmers of Quinn Hughes uniting with his brothers. 
Those seem all but dashed for this group through December and January. Hughes went to Minnesota, and his younger brother Luke has struggled after inking a massive extension. 
With little margin for error, the Devils’ victory puts them 25-22-2 on the season, but still five points back of the wildcard with four teams to leapfrog yet. 
The current situation, combined with the healthy scratch of Dougie Hamilton, led to general manager Tom Fitzgerald addressing the media last Wednesday. Hamilton’s time in Jersey seems to be running out. 
“This is on me,” said Fitzgerald. “Where we’re at right now is on me. I’m one to take accountability on myself. Accountability is a word that we use a lot with every part of our organization.” 
Injuries have followed Hamilton throughout his career, but even in limited time, he produced nine goals and 40 points in 64 games last season. 
He isn’t near any pace to scratch that total now, though. But for a guy getting shopped, Hamilton knows the right time to dial in. Since his scratch against the Jets on January 10, he’s produced five assists and is on a five-game point streak. 
It’ll be interesting to see who bites with two seasons left at $9 million. 

Hug(e)hes problem

Matters were made worse when Jack Hughes missed roughly five weeks, which took the wind out of his sails offensively after an explosive start. Although maybe he wasn’t so upset getting to spend more time with Tate McRae.
He has just one goal in his return, having not scored in his last 13 games, and 11 points overall.
The Monday game against Calgary also saw Luke Hughes leave in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Keefe said afterward he’ll miss some time, likely out for the rest of the roadtrip. 
This is purely speculation, but from an outsider’s point of view, it seems like New Jersey was banking on getting Quinn Hughes for cents on the dollar, and it rocked them when Minnesota provided a better offer. 

Nice try, Nogoal-ov

Five-on-five offence plagues New Jersey, with the worst goal share in the entire NHL, despite being a team that is in the upper half of Corsi Percentage. 
The Devils do have a fairly decent powerplay just a touch over 80 per cent. Captain Nico Hischier is one of the best two-way players in the league, tied for the team lead in points with 37. 
Players like Dawson Mercer, the rise in Simon Nemec’s development, the depth of Cody Glass, and rookie Arseny Gritsyuk are bright spots that help.
But this helps illustrate the point. Seven times in their last 17 games have the Devils scored three or more goals. Only two of those seven were over four goals scored. 
Where are guys like Timo Meier, whom they committed millions upon millions towards? Their top guys are not scoring. 
So, tight, low-scoring hockey has been their path to victory of late. That’s only working sometimes, though, with this inconsistent goaltending. 
Jake Allen is expected to start against the Oilers, and he’s better than Jacob Markstrom this season for the most part. They re-upped Markstrom for two more years in November, and 35-year-old Allen has four more seasons after this one. 
Bizarre. 

Notes:

  • Nemec’s overtime winner on Monday was his third sudden-death goal of the season, which puts him in rare company. Only two defensemen in NHL history have had more: Shayne Gostisbehere (four in 2015-16) and Scott Niedermayer (four in 2001-02).
  • Jesper Bratt just surpassed his 600th NHL game on Saturday. With his assist last night, Bratt has 484 points in 601 games. He’s not been as good offensively coming off a career-high 88-point season in 2024-25. 
  • This year, he’s on pace to have his lowest point total dating back to 2020-21 with 11 goals and 37 points in 49 games, but that’s still good enough for a share of the team league in points. Overall, he’s solid.  
  • A fun Bratt fact. Bratt’s two goals in 21 seconds eight days ago against Minnesota were the second-fastest two goals by one player in franchise history, behind Hischier. 
  • Hischier has 15 goals on the year, and recently surpassed Kirk Muller for sixth in franchise history in goals with 186. 
  • Another Fitzgerald miscue has been Ondrej Palat right from jump. The former Lightning triplet reached a high of 31 points in a Devils sweater in 2023-24, and this year has just ten points. He recently snapped a 20-goal goalless drought, his first tally since Dec. 1. Ugly. 
  • Former Oiler Connor Brown committed to Jersey because Fitzgerald would give him a fourth year of the contract, and he hasn’t hurt them. He’s scored nine goals and 17 points. 
  • Meanwhile, Luke Glendening has no goals this season, despite playing in all 48 games before Monday. The 36-year-old vet might be cooked. I bet you wouldn’t guess he’s played 912 NHL games, would ya? 
  • Lenni Hameenaho had two shots on goal in 12:38 of ice time in his NHL debut on Monday. He was a second-round pick in 2023. 
  • Devils vs Western Conference: 14-7. Interesting.  
  • Devils on the road: 13-13 
  • The Oilers lost 5-3 to the Devils on October 18, making it a three-game losing streak to NJD. EDM is 3-2 in their last five home games vs NJD dating back to November 2019.  
Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and has been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, he also collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues.

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