If you’ve been checking Devils scores hoping for good news, you’re not alone — and the results haven’t been kind. As the 2025-26 NHL season heads into its final stretch, New Jersey sits seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 28-27-2 record, and that playoff flame everyone was hoping to keep alive officially went out in early April. Here’s where things stand: the schedule, the channels, the standings, and what exactly went sideways for a team that had championship ambitions back in October.

4 related posts

Home Games: 41 ·
Playoff Status: Eliminated ·
Biggest Rivalry: Devils-Rangers ·
Season Schedule Source: NHL.com ·
Tickets: Ticketmaster

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Exact date for next head coach announcement
  • Full post-season trade activity and roster moves
  • Updated 2026-27 season outlook pending GM hire
3Timeline signal
  • Season released July 16, 2025 (NHL.com)
  • GM Tom Fitzgerald fired April 6, 2026 (Wikipedia)
  • Playoff elimination followed 24 hours later (NHL.com)
4What’s next
  • Final home game vs Ottawa on April 12, 2026
  • GM search underway heading into offseason
  • Focus shifts to 2026-27 roster construction

The table below consolidates the most-searched Devils facts for quick reference: venue details, key dates, and where to find official information.

Fact Detail
Official Schedule NHL.com Devils Schedule
Tickets Ticketmaster
Home Venue Prudential Center
Season Opened October 9, 2025 at Carolina
Home Opener October 16, 2025 vs Florida (W 3-1)
Record (Dec 2025) 28-27-2, 7th Metropolitan Division
Playoffs Missed 2025-26
Rivalry Game vs Rangers (March 2026)

What time is the Devils game today?

Devils game times vary by day of the week and broadcast slot. Most home games at Prudential Center drop the puck at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, with select weekend matinees starting as early as 1:00 p.m. The full 2025-26 schedule was published on NHL.com on July 16, 2025, giving fans nearly three months to plan ahead before the season opener on October 9 at Carolina. The team’s home opener on October 16, 2025 against Florida featured a 7:00 p.m. start time, with the Devils winning 3-1 behind J. Allen in goal.

For anyone tracking live scores, the Devils had a rough stretch in early December. According to ESPN’s schedule data, New Jersey dropped decisions to Columbus (5-3 loss on December 1), Dallas (3-0 on December 3), and Vegas (3-0 on December 5) — a three-game losing streak that reflected the broader inconsistencies plaguing the season. The final home game of the season is scheduled for April 12, 2026, when the Devils host Ottawa before wrapping up on the road at Boston two days later.

Live score updates

The quickest way to follow a Devils game live is through the ESPN app or NHL.com’s game tracker. Both platforms offer real-time score updates, play-by-play, and shot maps. For those at Prudential Center, the arena’s official app also provides in-seat ordering alongside live stats. Upcoming games on the schedule include matchups against Buffalo, at Pittsburgh, and at St. Louis, with ticket prices ranging from approximately $34 for upper-level seats to $103 for premium locations.

Bottom line: Devils game times follow standard NHL windows (7:00 p.m. for most home games, 1:00 p.m. for matinees). For live scores between now and season’s end on April 14, 2026, ESPN and NHL.com are the fastest real-time options.

What channel is the Devils game on tonight?

Devils games air across several channels depending on whether they are local or national broadcasts. For fans in the New York and New Jersey market, MSG Network (MSGSN, MSGSN2) handles the majority of local Devils telecasts, carrying the games regionally throughout the season. When a game isn’t available on MSG, NHL Power Play on ESPN+ steps in as the streaming home for many matchups that aren’t nationally protected, according to Sports Media Watch’s broadcast schedule.

National windows appear on ESPN for select dates, NHL Network for others, and TNT/HBO Max carries a handful of marquee matchups — including the October 16 home opener versus Florida and the Devils’ upcoming game at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers. Canadian viewers with access to RDS, TSN, or Sportsnet can catch select Devils games as well. For the most accurate weekly listing, the ESPN Devils team schedule page provides a day-by-day breakdown of which channel is carrying each game.

Streaming options

Cord-cutters have three main avenues for Devils content. ESPN+ serves as the primary streaming platform through the NHL Power Play package, covering games not subject to local blackouts. The TNT/HBO Max bundle handles nationally televised dates. For regional MSG Network games, a cable login or a streaming service that includes MSG (such as Verizon’s FuboTV or YouTube TV) is required. The NHL itself offers a league-wide streaming option through NHL.tv, though regional restrictions apply based on your location.

Devils standings

As of late April 2026, the New Jersey Devils sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 28-27-2 record — exactly the kind of position that makes playoff qualification mathematically painful. The 28 wins, 27 losses, and 2 overtime losses translate to roughly 58 points through the midseason mark, leaving New Jersey well outside the division’s top four spots that guarantee postseason berths.

The Metropolitan Division is unforgiving territory. With Pittsburgh, Washington, and the Rangers all competing for the same playoff seeds, the Devils’ sub-.500 pace at home and inconsistent scoring bursts put them in a hole they couldn’t climb out of. The team leaders producing at the highest rates are captain Nico Hischier (28 goals through the season) and Jesper Bratt (50 assists), but individual excellence on a top line doesn’t translate to wins when the depth chart lags behind, according to season performance data.

Playoff implications

By mid-April 2026, the math had done its work. The Devils were officially eliminated from playoff contention on April 7, 2026, following a 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers — a result that ended any remaining hope with three games still remaining on the schedule. The elimination came 24 hours after the team fired general manager Tom Fitzgerald on April 6, a move that signaled organizational upheaval alongside the on-ice disappointment. The final road game at Boston on April 14 will serve as the season’s last chapter.

The catch

The Devils’ 26 games against Metropolitan Division opponents meant every head-to-head matchup carried extra weight — and New Jersey finished below .500 in those critical divisional battles, a trend that foreshadowed the playoff miss before the calendar hit spring.

Are the Devils in the playoffs?

No. The New Jersey Devils were eliminated from the 2025-26 NHL playoffs on April 7, 2026, after a 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The defeat officially closed the door on any postseason ambitions with three games still left on the schedule, sending the Devils into the offseason without a playoff appearance. This elimination arrived just 24 hours after the organization made the decision to part ways with general manager Tom Fitzgerald.

The timing of the playoff elimination — mid-April with two home games remaining — meant the final stretch at Prudential Center shifted from meaningful hockey to a closing sentiment. The last home game against Ottawa on April 12 and the season finale at Boston on April 14 became farewell dates for a season that never found consistent traction after October.

Factors behind the miss

Several interconnected issues contributed to the Devils missing the postseason. The inconsistent record through December (hovering near .500 at 28-27-2) left too little margin for error in a competitive Metropolitan Division. Defensive lapses at key moments and an inability to close out close games accumulated into a points deficit too deep to overcome. The front office upheaval in early April — with GM Tom Fitzgerald dismissed just one day before the playoff elimination was finalized — added organizational chaos to an already difficult on-ice situation.

Why this matters

For Devils fans who packed Prudential Center for the 41 home games this season, the playoff miss isn’t just a statistical footnote — it means a fifth consecutive spring without postseason hockey at the Rock, a stretch that raises immediate questions about what changes the new general manager will prioritize when building toward 2026-27.

The Devils had the pieces to compete. When you finish seventh in a division this competitive with your top players producing, the gap has to be in structure, depth, and decision-making at the organizational level.

— Daily Faceoff NHL analyst

Why are the NJ Devils bad this year?

The answer isn’t a single factor but a combination of recurring problems. The Devils opened the 2025-26 season with promise — a three-game road trip to start, then a home opener win against Florida on October 16 — but the record never sustained upward momentum. By December, the 28-27-2 mark reflected a team that could beat anyone on a given night but couldn’t string together the consistency needed to climb the Metropolitan Division standings.

One major issue was depth scoring. While Nico Hischier delivered 28 goals and Jesper Bratt added 50 assists as the team leaders, the supporting cast couldn’t provide enough secondary offense on most nights. The result was a team heavily reliant on its top line, meaning when opponents took away the Devils’ best players, the rest of the roster struggled to generate enough to win close games. The early December losses — back-to-back shutouts against Dallas and Vegas, plus a high-scoring loss to Columbus — illustrated this pattern clearly.

Key stats and analysis

Looking at the schedule data from NHL.com Devils Official, the Devils played 26 games against Metropolitan Division opponents, and that divisional record dragged the overall mark down. The seven-game home stand from March 3 through March 16 offered one of the best windows to make up ground against Florida, Toronto, the Rangers, Detroit, Calgary, Los Angeles, and Boston — but the inconsistency that defined the season showed up there too.

The trade-off

The Devils’ situation creates a difficult calculus for the new GM: retooling around the existing core of Hischier and Bratt could keep the team competitive in the short term, but a deeper rebuild might offer better long-term odds — trading veterans for draft capital while developing younger players who could form the next competitive window.

The organization faces a clear fork in the road. With 41 home games still on the schedule next season, Prudential Center will either host playoff hockey or another year of rebuilding — and the decisions made this offseason will determine which outcome becomes reality.

— Editorial assessment based on season performance data

Related reading: 76ers vs Houston Rockets: Match Player Stats 2025-26 · Denver Nuggets vs Lakers Match Player Stats: Box Scores

Additional sources

espn.com, nhl.com, sportsmediawatch.com, nhl.com, cbssports.com

The New Jersey Devils, honoring leaders like former Devils GM Ray Shero former Devils GM Ray Shero amid their storied past, unveil the full 2025-26 schedule at Prudential Center.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the New Jersey Devils home game schedule?

The Devils play 41 home games at Prudential Center during the 2025-26 NHL season. The home opener was October 16, 2025 versus Florida, and the final home game is April 12, 2026 against Ottawa. Key highlight: a seven-game home stand from March 3 through March 16 featuring the Rangers, Maple Leafs, and Bruins. Full schedule available at NHL.com.

Where to buy Devils game tickets?

Devils tickets are available through Ticketmaster, the team’s official resale partner, and the Prudential Center box office. Upcoming games have tickets ranging from approximately $34 for upper-level seats to $103 for premium locations. Tickets for home games at Prudential Center can also be found on secondary marketplaces, though prices vary based on opponent and demand.

Who won the Devils game last night?

As of early December 2025, the Devils were on a losing streak. Recent results include a 5-3 loss to Columbus on December 1, a 3-0 loss to Dallas on December 3, and a 3-0 loss to Vegas on December 5. The Devils’ home opener on October 16 ended with a 3-1 win over Florida with J. Allen in goal.

What are the Devils current standings?

As of late December 2025, the Devils sat seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 28-27-2 record. The 58 points through midseason placed New Jersey outside the playoff picture, and the team was ultimately eliminated from postseason contention on April 7, 2026 after a 5-1 loss to Philadelphia.

Is there a Devils game today live?

To check if there is a Devils game today, visit the ESPN Devils team schedule or NHL.com for the most current game listings. Most Devils home games start at 7:00 p.m. Eastern at Prudential Center, with select matinees beginning at 1:00 p.m. Live score updates are available through the ESPN app or NHL.com game tracker.

Who are the key Devils players for upcoming games?

The Devils’ top performers this season have been captain Nico Hischier (28 goals) and Jesper Bratt (50 assists). These two lead the team in scoring and have carried much of the offensive load throughout the 2025-26 season. Their performance will be central to any competitive push the team makes over the remaining schedule.

What is the Devils-Rangers rivalry history?

The Devils-Rangers rivalry is one of the NHL’s most heated Metropolitan Division matchups, with both teams competing for the same geographic fan base and playoff positioning. The 2025-26 schedule featured multiple games against New York’s Broadway counterparts, with a notable March home stand at Prudential Center placing the two rivals directly against each other for prime broadcast slots on TNT/HBO Max.

The Devils’ 2025-26 campaign ends with two final games — April 12 at home versus Ottawa and April 14 on the road at Boston — but the more consequential decision sits in the front office. With a new general manager set to reshape the roster, the path from a seventh-place Metropolitan Division finish to genuine playoff contention in 2026-27 starts with understanding exactly what went wrong: inconsistent scoring depth, a failure to win divisional matchups, and a defensive record that couldn’t support the offensive explosiveness of Hischier and Bratt when it mattered most. For Devils fans, the offseason won’t be quiet — and the choices made between now and next October will determine whether Prudential Center hosts playoff hockey or another long spring of what-ifs.