The New Jersey Devils are certainly feeling themselves to begin the 2025-26 season. Jake Allen and his teammates want to contend for the Stanley Cup in 2026. After dropping their season opener, they have rattled off their seventh straight win with a victory over the San Jose Sharks on Friday.
Dougie Hamilton scored two goals and three points on the night. Allen made 16 saves on the 17 shots he faced. They defeated San Jose by a score of 3-1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. And they improved to 7-1-0 on the young season.
A common theme from Devils players following the game was that they didn’t put their best foot forward. Especially early in the game. However, good teams find a way to win even if they aren’t at their best. Allen echoed this sentiment after defeating the Sharks on Friday.
“Contending teams, consistent teams know how to win when you’re not your best,” Allen said, via NHL.com. “It’s physically impossible to keep yourself in games when you’re not feeling the best. That’s a skill that takes time to learn.”
“There’s going to be times where guys don’t feel good on the ice, when you don’t feel like a million bucks, but that’s when you simplify things and find ways to get it done. I think that just shows a lot of growth,” the Devils goaltender continued.
Devils Work Through Poor Start in Sharks Win
Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesJake Allen and the New Jersey Devils appear to be one of the best teams in the NHL.
The Devils spoke about not being at their best in the first period against the Sharks. And this is true, they allowed San Jose to get more than their fair share of chances. In fact, they had three point-blank chances in front of Allen in the first.
William Eklund opened the scoring two minutes into the game. And San Jose pushed for more as they had New Jersey on the ropes. However, Allen stood tall to keep the game 1-0. After the first, it was all Devils.
The Sharks managed just seven shots on goal in the second and third periods combined. New Jersey, meanwhile, peppered young goalie Yaroslav Askarov. The Sharks puck-stopper was largely up for the task, but New Jersey was too much for him to keep at bay.
San Jose had some confidence after picking up their first win of the season. But they were unable to continue their winning ways. And the Devils grinded out a win despite their unfortunate start to the game.
New Jersey Happy To See Dougie Hamilton Contributing
Hamilton was the star of the show outside of Allen. His two goals — both coming in the second period — made all the difference in this contest. Adding an assist on New Jersey’s third and final goal certainly didn’t hurt, either.
The Devils defenseman has been subjected to trade rumors throughout the summer. Many saw him as a potential cap casualty before the 2025-26 season. Even beyond this, he has struggled with some injuries in recent seasons. With this in mind, the Devils are happy to see him gain some confidence.
“It’s great that everybody’s contributing, and obviously it’s great to see Dougie get a couple to boost his confidence,” captain Nico Hischier said, via NHL.com. “We’re winning, so at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. If the defense can chip in there, even better.”
The Devils will look to make it eight in a row against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday afternoon.
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