The New Jersey Devils held off the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 in an NHL thriller at Prudential Center. The scoring leaned toward five-on-five finishing, because both power plays went 0 for 1. Shot volume and blocks, plus a faceoff clinic, carried New Jersey through a tense third period.

Luke Evangelista earned first-star honors with a goal and an assist, while Jake Allen stopped 31 shots. Artturi Lehkonen led Colorado’s response with two late goals, and Cale Makar logged two assists. If you want the full box score as you read, you can find it on Sofascore’s event page here.

How the scoring unfolded

The New Jersey Devils beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 at Prudential Center after a frantic finish. Luke Evangelista put the Devils in front early in the first after smart work from Jonas Siegenthaler and Nico Hischier. Colorado answered later in the period through Gabriel Landeskog, who finished a move started by Nazem Kadri with Cale Makar supplying the second assist. That left the game level after twenty minutes despite New Jersey leading 15-4 on shots. The second period tilted the scoreboard when defender Declan Chisholm stepped into space and scored with Evangelista involved in the build-up.

New Jersey stretched the lead in the third as Arseny Gritsyuk buried a chance set up by Dougie Hamilton. Jesper Boqvist then hit the empty net after Connor Brown’s hustle, making it 4-1 with under three minutes left. Colorado did not fold, and Artturi Lehkonen struck twice late to slice the gap to one. His second arrived with five seconds remaining from Brock Nelson and Makar, too late to force overtime. The Devils closed it out 4-3 in regulation in front of 15,360 fans.

Shot volume and goaltending

The shot map told two stories across three periods. New Jersey controlled the first forty minutes, posting 15-4 in the first and 17-9 in the second on shots on goal. Colorado flipped momentum in the third with a 21-9 push that fueled the late rally. Overall shots finished 41-34 for the Devils, and that volume advantage proved just enough. Average shot distance barely differed, 11.6 feet for New Jersey and 11.9 for Colorado, which underlined how tight the shooting lanes were.

Jake Allen’s 31 saves on 34 shots steadied the home team when it mattered. Scott Wedgewood was busier and excellent with 37 saves on 40 shots, earning the third star despite the loss. Even-strength save rates were similar, with Allen at 0.906 and Wedgewood at 0.914, and neither goalie conceded on the power play. That parity in net made shot blocking and rebound control decisive. With the Avalanche net empty, Boqvist’s finish became the cushion the Devils ultimately needed.

Possession, blocks and faceoffs

Possession metrics lean toward Colorado, who finished with 55.0 percent Corsi and 51.5 percent Fenwick. The Avalanche generated more attempts at five-on-five, particularly during the third-period wave. New Jersey countered by sacrificing bodies, posting 24 blocked shots to Colorado’s 14. That defensive commitment blunted several late looks and fed quick clears under pressure. The takeaway column also favored the Devils 6-3, another small win in the margins.

Faceoffs were a big lever, with New Jersey winning 65 percent overall, 37 of 57. Hischier led the way at 60 percent, while Evan Rodrigues turned in a strong 78.6 percent night down the dots. For Colorado, Nathan MacKinnon battled but finished at 29.4 percent, and the Avalanche were chasing the puck more than they liked. Even on special teams, the Devils controlled restarts, taking 75 percent of power play faceoffs and 66 percent while shorthanded. Stringing together those restarts helped New Jersey exit the zone and burn late-clock seconds after Lehkonen’s goals.

Standouts and special teams

Evangelista was named the game’s first star after a goal and an assist that framed New Jersey’s first two strikes. Chisholm’s tally gave the Devils the lead they kept, and Gritsyuk’s third-period finish stood up as the winner. Boqvist’s empty-netter proved vital once Colorado scored twice in rapid succession. Among volume shooters, Timo Meier led all Devils with eight shots on goal. On the back end, Hamilton added an assist and three blocks, while Brett Pesce led New Jersey with four blocks.

Colorado’s stars made their presence felt in the surge. Lehkonen bagged a brace at even strength, and Landeskog scored the first-period equalizer. Makar drove transition and finished with two assists and four blocks. Kadri and Nelson chipped in helpers during key sequences. Special teams were a wash, with both sides at 0 for 1 on the power play and no shorthanded threats recorded.

Final word from Newark

This was a game where structure beat momentum. Colorado owned more of the attempts, but New Jersey’s blocks, faceoff control and goalie calm held the line. The Devils also finished their chances at a slightly better even-strength clip, 11 percent to the Avalanche’s 9 percent. Add a timely empty-net goal and you have the recipe for a narrow home win that survived a late scare. For visiting fans, the 21 third-period shots and Lehkonen’s form offer clear positives.

For home fans, Evangelista’s impact on the top six and Allen’s second-star performance headline the takeaways. Attendance reached 15,360 at Prudential Center, and the energy helped repel that final shift. Full event data, box score and player charts are available on Sofascore, and you can dive into every stat from this game here. Keep an eye on both teams on Sofascore as the NHL schedule rolls on.