Jake Allen notched his first shutout as a member of the New Jersey Devils. In contrast, rookie defenseman Seamus Casey opened the scoring early in the second period to help lead the Devils to a 3-0 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Monday.
Stefan Noesen and Nico Hischier also found the back of the net as New Jersey secured its fourth win in five games. The Devils, who missed the playoffs last season, are off to a strong start this year.
After three consecutive wins to start the season, Utah suffered its first loss. After winning their home opener against Chicago, the team defeated the Islanders and Rangers in overtime before running into the Devils.
Casey scored his third goal on the power play just 1:14 into the second period. Noesen added a goal, with an assist from Casey, at 8:13 of the same period, and Hischier capped the scoring with a power-play goal at 10:13 of the third.
Karel Vejmelka, making his first start of the season for Utah, stopped 30 shots, while Allen turned away all 20 shots he faced for the shutout.
Takeaways
Devils: New Jersey earned its first home win of the season after losing their home opener to Toronto last Thursday. The Devils previously recorded two wins over Buffalo in Prague and a road victory against Washington.
Utah: Despite the loss, Utah has enjoyed a solid start to the season, winning three of their first four games. The team relocated from Arizona to Salt Lake City last spring and continues to build on the foundation established by its former identity as the Coyotes.
Key Moment
Casey’s power-play goal early in the second period broke the scoreless deadlock. The 20-year-old defenseman, a second-round pick by the Devils in 2022, now has four points in five games.
Key Stat
Allen recorded his first shutout with the Devils, marking the 34-year-old goaltender’s 25th career shutout. Utah went 0-for-4 on the power play, but they could not capitalize on their chances.
Up Next
The Devils will visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, while Utah wraps up their four-game road trip with a visit to the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday.
