Connor Hellebuyck Earns Win in His Devils Debut as New Jersey Beats Dallas 5-1
Connor Hellebuyck stopped 16 of the 17 shots he faced to secure a win in his New Jersey debut, anchoring a 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. The three-time Vezina Trophy winner stepped onto the ice just four days after being traded by the Winnipeg Jets following a suspension for failing to report to training camp. The performance delivered his first victory since April 9, when he defeated St. Louis 3-2.
The matchup marked a major test for a Dallas squad that entered the contest leading the NHL with a 1.68 goals-against average. New Jersey dismantled that defensive standing by netting five goals, a season high against the Stars. Captain Nico Hischier led the offensive charge with two goals, while Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes, and Jesper Boqvist also tallied scores to push the Devils to their fourth consecutive victory.
Hischier opened the scoring at 2.41 of the first period and struck again 38 seconds into the second frame to build a 2-0 lead. Dallas challenged the first goal for goaltender interference against Timo Meier, but the review resulted in the challenge being denied. Hischier now leads the team with seven goals on the season, recording his second multi-goal game in the process.
New Jersey Builds Lead as Dallas Kills Power Plays
Boqvist extended the lead to 3-0 midway through the second period before Dallas found its lone response. Justin Hryckowian deflected a shot past Hellebuyck at 16:08 of the second to pull the Stars within two goals. Luke Hughes answered just 28 seconds later to restore the three-goal cushion.
The contest also featured a stiff test on special teams. The Stars entered the night boasting the league’s second-ranked penalty kill and successfully neutralized all three of New Jersey’s power play opportunities. That performance extended their streak to 22 consecutive successful penalty kills across six games, though it failed to offset the sustained pressure generated by the Devils at even strength.
Casey DeSmith, making his third start of the season for Dallas, registered 22 saves after allowing only two goals in each of his previous outings. Despite the steady workload, the defensive wall that defined the early part of the Stars’ season crumbled under New Jersey’s balanced attack.
Kyle Capobianco Suffers Injury as Stars Win Streak Ends
Dallas defenseman Kyle Capobianco was helped off the ice five minutes into the third period following an apparent leg injury and did not return to the game.
The outcome brought a five-game winning streak to a halt for the Stars while wrapping up the fourth game of a season-long six-homestand. For the Devils, the victory kicked off a demanding road back-to-back.
- New Jersey Devils: Travel to face Colorado on Wednesday night.
- Dallas Stars: Host Montreal on Thursday night.
