The New Jersey Devils extended their win streak to eight games with a 4-3 overtime victory against the Colorado Avalanche on October 26, 2025, at Prudential Center. Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal just 1:53 into overtime, his second of the game and eighth in as many contests. The win came amid adversity, including an upper-body injury to defenseman Brett Pesce.
The Devils jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first period. Arseny Gritsyuk opened the scoring at 9:09 with a snap shot from the left circle, assisted by Timo Meier, marking his second goal in three games. Just 39 seconds later, at 9:48, Jack Hughes added his first goal of the game on a wrist shot from the left circle, assisted by Simon Nemec.
The Avalanche responded quickly. Valeri Nichushkin cut the deficit to 2-1 at 12:55 with a snap shot off a rebound from the right hash marks. Nathan MacKinnon tied the game at 2-2 at 17:03, tapping in a loose puck along the goal line after Artturi Lehkonen's shot hit the post.
Brett Pesce sustained an upper-body injury at 14:39 of the first period while blocking a shot from Brent Burns and did not return, leaving New Jersey with five defensemen. This forced increased ice time for Luke Hughes (24:43) and Nemec (23:35). Despite the setback, Connor Brown restored the Devils' lead at 12:51 of the second period with a wrist shot on a breakaway, making it 3-2.
In the third period, Brock Nelson tied the score at 3-3 at 13:55, one-timing a pass from Ross Colton from the slot. Overtime solved the contest quickly, as Nemec collected a turnover and fed Hughes, who faked and snapped a shot into the corner at 1:53. Jake Allen made 21 saves on 24 shots for the win, his fifth straight start.
Nemec recorded three assists in the game. Head coach Sheldon Keefe praised the team's resilience: "It’s kind of a call to action there when you lose not just a defenseman, but an integral defenseman like Pesce... But we just got back to work."
Following the game, the Devils re-assigned goaltender Nico Daws to the AHL's Utica Comets and recalled defenseman Seamus Casey. Pesce will not travel for the upcoming four-game road trip, which begins Tuesday against the Avalanche in Colorado. Casey, who had four goals and four assists in 14 NHL games last season, joins the team in Denver.