The New Jersey Devils enter tonight’s matchup against the Colorado Avalanche riding a four-game winning streak, the first such run for the club since October 2025. While New Jersey has won four in a row, they face a Colorado team coming off two days of rest that has not won consecutive games since early October.
This game is a collision of contrasting momentum. New Jersey has tightened its defensive shell, while Colorado possesses a high-powered offense that has struggled with consistency, failing to win consecutive games since early October. The outcome hinges on whether the Devils’ disciplined shot suppression can withstand an Avalanche team that feasts on high-volume attacking.
Hellebuyck will get a full day off tomorrow, Keefe said. Allen will start in Colorado with Poirier backing up.
The Battle of the Crease
Jake Allen takes the starting role tonight, following a victory by Connor Hellebuyck. Allen’s performance will be the primary barometer for New Jersey’s success. He isn’t just facing a potent offense; he’s facing a Colorado squad that is playing “a little angry” after a 6-2 loss to the Nashville Predators.
On the other side, the Devils will see Mackenzie Blackwood in net for the Avalanche. Blackwood currently holds a 5-3-0 record this season, posting a .893 save percentage and a 2.91 goals against average. For New Jersey, the goal is simple: convert the chances they create. While the team is averaging nearly three goals per game, they are arguably underperforming their offensive metrics. Timo Meier, for instance, has managed only one goal despite firing 46 shots on net—a statistical anomaly that suggests a scoring surge is imminent.
Managing the Fatigue Gap
The most glaring disadvantage for the Devils is the schedule. They are playing the second half of a back-to-back, while Colorado has had 48 hours to recover. In a game defined by speed, fatigue usually manifests in the third period. We saw this during the last meeting on October 20, where Colorado unleashed 19 shots in the third period alone during a failed comeback attempt.
However, head coach Sheldon Keefe has been precise with ice time to mitigate this exhaustion. He has avoided overworking his stars during this winning streak. The data shows a conscious effort to distribute minutes:
| Player | Recent Ice Time Trend |
|---|---|
| Nico Hischier | Has not hit 20 minutes since Oct 6 |
| Jack Hughes | Has not hit 20 minutes since Oct 17 |
| Jesper Bratt / Timo Meier | Both played under 17 minutes last game |
| Brett Pesce | Recorded a season-low 18:07 |
By keeping his core fresh, Keefe is betting that his team can match the Avalanche’s pace despite the lack of rest. This strategy is essential because Colorado employs three potent lines that can exploit any dip in defensive energy.
Keefe May Return Declan Chisholm to Counter Colorado
New Jersey’s defense has been stingy. Aside from the October 20 game against Colorado (34 shots) and an October 6 game against Utah (32 shots), they haven’t allowed 30 shots in a single contest this season. In their last three games, they haven’t even surrendered more than 18 shots in one night.
To maintain this lockdown, Keefe may look to bring Declan Chisholm back into the lineup. There is a case for pairing Chisholm with Brenden Dillon on the third pairing. While both are left-handed, their combined speed is a necessary counter to Colorado’s transition game. This is particularly urgent as Johnny Kovacevic, while reliable, has lacked top-end speed in recent outings.
Chisholm’s history against the Avalanche provides a blueprint for success. In their previous meeting, he was one of the top defenders in expected goal percentage (xGF%) and scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, a lead the Devils never relinquished.
The Depth Scoring Equation
While the “Big Three” of Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Arseny Gritsyuk have all hit double-digit points, the Devils’ real strength this season has been a balanced contribution. Seven different players currently sit in the five-to-six point range, including Jesper Boqvist, who has four goals in 10 games.
The “so what” of this depth is that Colorado cannot simply shut down Hughes and Bratt to win. New Jersey is producing goals from the bottom six and the blue line. Dougie Hamilton recently hit the iron, and Luke Hughes is finding his rhythm, combining a highlight-reel goal with his second assist of the year in the last game. If the secondary scoring clicks, it forces Colorado to defend the entire ice, neutralizing their ability to pinch aggressively.
The counter-argument, however, is that the Avalanche are built for the “run-and-gun” style of hockey. If Colorado can force the game into a chaotic, high-shot-count affair, the Devils’ disciplined structure could crumble under the weight of numbers. New Jersey doesn’t need to dominate the shot count to win, but they do need to avoid the collapses that plagued them in October 2025.
The question remains whether Jake Allen can repeat his previous success against this specific offense, or if Colorado’s hunger for a consecutive win will finally break the Devils’ streak.
