Timo Meier, New Jersey Devils (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Devils Defeat Panthers 3-1 in Home Opener Victory

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Jess Amato | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 10:11 PM ET

On Thursday, Oct. 16, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Florida Panthers for their first home game of the season. This game marked the third of five games on the road for Florida. Although the Panthers scored first, the Devils scored more with a 3-1 victory over the reigning Stanley Cup champs.

Game Recap

Just a minute into the game, Seth Jones sent the puck from the Devils’ offensive zone to Brad Marchand in the Panthers’ offensive zone. Marchand took a shot, but Jake Allen made the save. Marchand picked up the rebound and took another shot, but Allen was there to block it once again. Evan Rodrigues was in the front of the net and picked up the third rebound. His shot rang off the post and into the net to give the Panthers an early lead.

Although the Devils took three penalties in the first period and the Panthers took four, neither team scored on the extra man advantage. The Panthers were the only team on the board heading into the second period.

Five minutes into the second period, Rodrigues took a seat for tripping Jack Hughes. With over a minute into the extra man advantage, Jesper Bratt passed the puck up to Hughes near the front of the net. Hughes’ shot went over Daniil Tarasov’s shoulder to tie the game.

Early into the third period, Brenden Dillon held the puck at the blue line. He passed it to Simon Nemec, who took a shot. Timo Meier was in the front of the net. He expertly deflected the puck into the net to give the Devils the lead.

Five minutes later, Meier used a backhanded shot to keep the puck into the Devils’ offensive zone. While the Panthers touched the loose puck, the Devils gained control of it again. Dawson Mercer passed it to Nico Hischier in front of the net. With everyone on the Florida team tied up, Hischier had a clear shot to give the Devils a two-goal lead.

With a little over a minute left, Sam Reinhart took a shot to try to get the Panthers back in the game. Although his shot counted as a goal, the Devils immediately challenged the goal. It was determined Reinhart committed goaltender interference, and the goal was called back. The Devils were victorious, 1-0.

Next Up

Both teams will be in action on Saturday, Oct. 18. The Panthers will continue traveling up the East Coast to take on the Buffalo Sabres. The Devils will stay at home and host the Edmonton Oilers.