The New Jersey Devils didn’t just beat the Anaheim Ducks — they reset the vibe at The Rock with a 4–1 win that snapped an ugly five-game home losing streak and reasserted themselves as a dangerous team even while shorthanded.
A Night the Rock Finally Roared Again
For weeks, Prudential Center had been a problem for New Jersey.
After opening the season
9-0-1 at home, the Devils somehow spiraled into
five straight home losses, turning what should have been a fortress into a frustration machine.
Against the Ducks, that script flipped.
Behind
Jake Allen’s 30-save performance and a massive night from the
third line of Stefan Noesen, Paul Cotter, and Juho Lammikko, New Jersey controlled the key moments and finally gave their home crowd something to cheer about again.
The Ducks struck first, but they never struck again.
How the Game Was Won
Ducks Start Fast, Then Vanish
Anaheim actually opened the scoring and looked sharp early.
-
Troy Terry buried a
snap shot from the right hashmarks off a slick lead pass from
Leo Carlsson at 13:18 of the first, giving the Ducks a 1–0 edge.
- It was exactly the kind of play that showcased Anaheim’s skill and speed. For a brief moment, it felt like the Ducks might dictate pace.
Then New Jersey’s depth took over.
Devils’ Third Line Takes Command
The turning point came less than three minutes after Terry’s goal.
-
Stefan Noesen tied it 1–1 at 16:09 of the first, finishing from the slot after
Juho Lammikko drove wide and fed him from behind the net.
- That goal cracked the game open for New Jersey’s third line, which ended up being the story of the night.
From there:
-
Paul Cotter made it 2–1 with a wrist shot from the slot at 5:52 of the second.
-
Cody Glass stretched it to 3–1 with a snap shot from the high slot at 17:04 of the second.
By the end of the night:
- Noesen had
1 goal, 1 assist.
- Lammikko had
2 assists.
- That line alone combined for
five points and drove the offensive momentum.
In the third,
Connor Brown sealed it with an empty-netter at 18:00 to lock in the 4–1 final.
Jake Allen’s Bounce-Back Performance
This game was also a reset for
Jake Allen.
- Allen stopped
30 of 31 shots, including
14 saves in the third period when Anaheim made its push.
- He recorded his
first win since Nov. 28 after dropping three straight decisions.
One of his biggest moments came late:
- With the Ducks pulling goalie Lukas Dostal for a 6-on-5, Allen
stoned rookie Beckett Sennecke on a backhand from the slot at 16:07 of the third — a potential turning-point chance that could have made it 3–2.
The Ducks outshot the Devils
31–22, but Allen was the difference.
Special Teams and the Numbers Game
Anaheim had opportunities — they just did nothing with them.
- The Ducks went
0-for-4 on the power play, failing to cash in on critical chances that might have swung momentum.
- New Jersey also went 0-for-? on the power play (no power-play goals on either side), but they dominated
faceoffs, winning
42 to Anaheim’s 17 — a huge factor in controlling possession and territory.
Key team stats from the game:
| Stat | Ducks | Devils |
|---------------------|-------|--------|
| Goals | 1 | 4 |
| Shots on Goal | 31 | 22 |
| Power-Play Goals | 0 | 0 |
| Faceoff Wins | 17 | 42 |
| Penalties (minors) | 2 | 2 |
Anaheim also allowed the Devils to dictate structure at even strength. Once New Jersey grabbed the lead, they managed the game, forced the Ducks to chase, and leaned on Allen to erase breakdowns.
Ducks: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
This loss continues a frustrating pattern for Anaheim.
- The Ducks came in
19-12-1, having just put together a three-game win streak that suggested they were gaining traction.
- Now, they’ve dropped
two straight, and their inability to generate sustained offense after the first period is a growing concern.
Some key context:
-
Lukas Dostal stopped
18 of 21 shots in his return after missing
nine games with an upper-body injury.
- Despite the loss, his performance was solid; the bigger issue was Anaheim’s attack going silent after Terry’s opener and their failure to convert four power plays.
Anaheim’s defensive record remains shaky; broadcasters noted they’ve allowed over 100 goals already this season, and games like this show how thin their margin for error is.
Devils Do It Shorthanded
What makes this win stand out is
who New Jersey did it without.
The Devils were missing a long list of key names:
-
Jack Hughes (finger)
-
Timo Meier (personal leave; top goal-scorer)
-
Evgenii Dadonov (wrist)
-
Zack MacEwen (lower body)
- Defensemen
Brett Pesce (hand) and
Jonathan Kovacevic (knee)
-
Arseny Gritsyuk (upper body)
-
Simon Nemec (lower body)
Despite that, depth players carried the night — exactly what contenders need in the grind of an 82-game season.
Coach Sheldon Keefe also emphasized support for Meier, who missed his second game due to a family health matter, saying the team will give him “all the time he needs.”
What This Means Going Forward
For the
Devils:
- They improve to
18-13-1, with wins in two of their last three.
- More importantly, they
reset their home ice narrative, stopping the five-game skid at Prudential Center and proving they can win without star power.
- The emergence of the Noesen–Cotter–Lammikko line adds a potentially crucial secondary scoring layer as the season progresses.
For the
Ducks:
- At
19-12-1, they’re still in a solid position overall, but this two-game slide exposes familiar issues: inconsistent offense, a leaky defensive structure, and a power play that disappears in big moments.
- Dostal’s healthy return is a positive, but Anaheim needs more from its top-six and its special teams if it wants to be more than a “nice early-season story.”
The Bigger Picture
Matchups like
Ducks vs. Devils don’t usually scream “marquee game” on the schedule, but this one mattered:
- For New Jersey, it was a
gut-check home game early in the season, and they passed.
- For Anaheim, it was a chance to show they could beat a banged-up but talented Eastern team on the road — and they let it slip after a promising start.
If you’re a Devils fan, this felt like the first sign in a while that the team can grind out wins without relying solely on its stars.
If you’re a Ducks fan, it’s a reminder that hot streaks are fragile — and that until this group finds a consistent identity, nights like this will keep popping up.
Sources
1. Allen, Devils top Ducks to end home skid at 5
2. Ducks score first but don't get another goal in loss to Devils
3. Ducks vs. Devils | NHL Highlights | December 13, 2025
4. NHL Highlights | Ducks vs. Devils - December 13, 2025
5. Anaheim Ducks vs. New Jersey Devils - NHL Game Recap
6. New Jersey Devils v Anaheim Ducks 13/12/2025 | Hockey
7. QUICK RECAP: Devils 4, Ducks 1 | New Jersey Devils
8. Ducks vs. Devils (13 Dec, 2025) Live Score
