The New Jersey Devils defeated the Calgary Flames 2-1 in overtime on Monday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Devils looked strong early, but the game opened up in the second and third periods, turning into a fast-paced track meet that saw numerous impressive saves by each netminder. With the win, the Devils earned a crucial two points, improving to 25-22-2. With the loss, the Flames dropped to 21-23-5.
Game Recap
Period One
Calgary had the early jump, with most of the puck possession, but few shots made it through to Jacob Markstrom.
Dougie Hamilton found Lenni Hameenaho, skating in his first NHL game, during a delayed penalty, but Devin Cooley made the save. New Jersey’s power play was short-lived, and the teams skated four aside after Nico Hischier was tagged for tripping.
The Devils surged with the extra room on the ice, but couldn’t grab the opening goal.
Jack Hughes and Arseny Gritsyuk each put a dangerous shot on net, but the goal-scoring woes persisted as the game remained scoreless.
The Flames got their best chance of the game with a heavy shot ripped off the post and out.
The Devils outshot Calgary 7-3 in the opening 20 minutes.
Period Two
The Devils had some chances in the early going, but were tagged with a hooking penalty, sending the Flames to the power play. Connor Brown sent a shorthanded breakaway shot wide, but the Devils successfully killed the penalty.
With momentum from the kill, the Devils broke through at 7:51 with a redirection at the net front by Dawson Mercer. Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler notched the assists.
The Devils gave the goal right back less than two minutes later, with a goal off the rush by Nazem Kadri that beat a sprawling Markstrom at 9:44. Kevin Bahl and Matvei Gridin had the assists.
New Jersey considered challenging for goaltender interference, but ultimately decided against it, and the goal stood.
The Flames surged as the Devils got sloppy defensively. Markstrom came way out of the net and made a sliding poke check to avoid a breakaway chance, and lost his glove in the process. The Devils got a quick chance, but Calgary answered, and Markstrom covered the puck with his bare hand, relieving the pressure.
The Devils got an excellent chance thanks to a cross-slot pass from Hameenaho to Jack Hughes, but Cooley made the sliding stop to keep the game tied.
The Devils outshot the Flames 13-10 in the frame.
Period Three
The Devils were sent to the box seconds into the third with a questionable check to the head call, a minor assessed to Hamilton. Nonetheless, they killed it off.
New Jersey went back to the box soon after, but part of the penalty was cancelled out as Brett Pesce was tripped down. During the four-on-four, Jack Hughes stole the puck and sprung Hischier on a clean breakaway, but Cooley turned the shot aside.
The Devils couldn’t cash in on their abbreviated power play.
Near the halfway point of the third, it was announced that Luke Hughes would not return to the game, following an injury sustained in the second period.
New Jersey got too fancy and set the Flames up with a point-blank chance from the net front, but Markstrom made a huge stop to hold the score at one apiece.
The Devils carried play for the remaining minutes, but they couldn’t take a late lead.
New Jersey outshot Calgary 29-22 in regulation.
Overtime
The Devils earned first possession, and it was all they needed. After an extended shift that left the Flames players tired, Jesper Bratt kicked the puck from the far corner to Jack Hughes, who dished a pass across the ice to Simon Nemec for the final dagger, a snap shot from in close at 1:18.
The Devils outshot the Flames 31-22 in 60+ minutes.
Takeaways
Simon on the Spot
In his young NHL career, Simon Nemec has developed a reputation for big goals at crucial moments of games. The double overtime winner against the Carolina Hurricanes in the playoffs, his hat trick against the Chicago Blackhawks, and his shootout winner against the Washington Capitals are just a few that come to mind.
Nemec came up huge again in Calgary, putting himself in the perfect position not only to receive the pass, but to have the time and space to make a move and put the puck past Cooley.
Nemec had been struggling a bit in recent games, finding himself as the odd man out and watching from the press box as a healthy scratch. Back in the lineup, he stepped up with a solid performance, especially in the wake of Luke Hughes’ departure.
Hopefully, for the Devils, his strong rebound and game-winning goal set him back on the right track as the team continues its road trip.
Injury Update
Luke Hughes left the game midway through the second period with what appeared to be an upper-body injury.
Postgame, Head Coach Sheldon Keefe stated that he will be evaluated but will miss time. He won’t play on the rest of New Jersey’s road trip.
Frank Seravalli reported that the initial diagnosis was a dislocated shoulder, but no statement was released by the Devils’ personnel.
Sounds like initial diagnosis was #njdevils Luke Hughes dislocated his shoulder tonight in Calgary.
Will await word from Devils postgame and potential timeline as he continues to be evaluated.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 20, 2026
Up Next
The Devils are right back in action on Tuesday night, when they travel north to take on the Edmonton Oilers.
The Oilers sit second in the Pacific Division with a 25-17-8 record. They are 5-3-2 in their past ten contests, the most recent being a 5-0 shutout victory over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday.
This is the second and final meeting between Edmonton and New Jersey this season. The Devils took the first contest 5-3 on October 18th.
The Oilers will be without Leon Draisaitl on Tuesday, as he is taking a brief leave of absence to attend to a family illness in Germany.
Puck drop at Rogers Place is set for 10:00 p.m. EST on TNT, truTV and HBO Max.
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