Luke Hughes Miscues Cost Devils in 3-1 Loss Against Hurricanes

Published: Monday, January 5, 2026

by Ryan Fox

NEWARK, N.J. - The New Jersey Devils (22-18-2) faced off against divisional threat and rival, the Carolina Hurricanes (25-14-3) at home on Sunday night, and fell by a score of 3-1. 

Just off the opening puck drop, Carolina was able to secure the early lead after Luke Hughes accidentally tipped one into his own net, with the goal being credited to Nikolaj Ehlers, putting Carolina up 1-0 51 seconds in. Shortly after, Carolina was sent to the first power play of the game, but failed to capitalize on the man advantage.

After some strong chances from both parties, Dawson Mercer tied the game up for the Devils, with Arseny Gritsyuk and Jonas Siegenthaler picking up the assists.

The first period concluded as an even 1-1 hockey game, with Carolina leading in shots on goal at 14-8.

The second period started off slow. Just under 8 minutes in, former Devil and the 2018 Hart Trophy winner, Taylor Hall, slipped one past Allen off of a tip from Luke Hughes' stick. Hall would remain the only scorer in the second period. 

However, New Jersey was sent to 3 consecutive powerplays, all within 6 minutes of each other, but failed to score on the opportunities. The Devils were desperate to get back in the game to extend their win streak to three.

New Jersey knew they had to make a run in Sunday's game, especially after Carolina fell to their last three opponents on the road. The Hurricanes have proven themselves to be a threat to the Devils for years, especially after eliminating them from the second round of the 2022-2023 playoffs, and in the first round of the 2024-2025 season.

The final 20 minutes of play opened up with Jordan Staal getting sent to the box giving New Jersey another chance on the man advantage where the puck squeaked in the net, but was called off shortly after official review. 

Logan Stankoven would then increase the Devils deficit to two, with Hall grabbing the assist. Rounding out the final period, New Jersey was sent to one final power play off of a tripping call on Andrei Svechnikov, but was unable to score, even with an empty net and 6-4 advantage in the final minutes.

Sunday’s game left a bad taste in fans’ mouths after two accidental own goals from Luke Hughes. In Sunday’s post-game conference, when asked about the possibility of benching Hughes, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe stated, “No, because these are innocent mistakes. It’s not like the guy’s not working, or not trying. You gotta get back out there and shake it off.”

As of recently, the pressure on Hughes’s game has been elevated, as defenseman Šimon Nemec has been on injured-reserve.

Following the loss, the Devils will look to bounce back against the New York Islanders on Tuesday at UBS Arena with a 7:30 p.m. puck drop.

Ryan Fox can be reached at ryan.fox@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: sports,