The New Jersey Devils secured a 4-1 victory over the Utah Mammoth on January 3, 2026, at Prudential Center in Newark, completing a season series sweep. Jesper Bratt scored and assisted, while Jacob Markstrom made 30 saves in the win. The Mammoth, who have lost three of their last four, struggled to convert opportunities despite solid effort.
Devils Sweep Mammoth with Convincing 4-1 Win
On Saturday, January 3, 2026, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Utah Mammoth at Prudential Center, dominating the matchup to earn a 4-1 victory and sweep their season series 4-0. This win marked the Devils' second straight regulation victory, improving their record to 22-17-2.
The game started strongly for New Jersey. At 12:27 of the first period, Jesper Bratt opened scoring with a wraparound goal off a rebound from Brett Pesce's shot, beating Karel Vejmelka. Just under two minutes later, at 14:18, Timo Meier capitalized on a defensive lapse by Vejmelka, wristing the puck into an open net for a 2-0 lead.
In the second period, the Devils extended their advantage on the power play. After a 5-on-3 opportunity, Nico Hischier redirected Jack Hughes' shot at 15:13 for a 3-0 tally. Dougie Hamilton followed at 16:43 with a sharp-angle wrist shot, ending his 26-game goal drought and marking his 50th goal with the Devils.
The Mammoth finally broke through in the third period. At 12:35, Michael Carcone wristed a pass from Barrett Hayton through traffic, spoiling Markstrom's shutout bid. Vejmelka finished with 26 saves for Utah, who fell to 19-20-3 and have scored fewer than two goals in four of their last eight games.
"Thought it was a pretty clean game," Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said. "Not our best game... but did more than enough to put ourselves in a spot to win."
Utah coach Andre Tourigny reflected on puck management issues: "Puck management early in the game cost us a lot... We had good opportunities, but we could not bury it."
Defenseman Sean Durzi emphasized team unity: "Look at the effort, it's not like guys don't want to win... We're owning it. We know we got to be better."
The Devils host the Carolina Hurricanes on January 4, while the Mammoth face the New York Rangers on January 5.
