New Jersey’s new goalie had an easy night. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 16 of 17 shots in his Devils debut, Nico Hischier scored twice and the Hughes brothers each had a goal and an assist as New Jersey beat the Dallas Stars 5-1 at American Airlines Center on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. The Devils have won four straight, and the Stars saw a five-game winning streak end.
Hellebuyck Wins His Devils Debut
The three-time Vezina Trophy winner started four days after being traded by the Winnipeg Jets following his suspension for failing to report to training camp. It was his first win since April 9 at St. Louis. The only goal Hellebuyck allowed was a Justin Hryckowian deflection at 16:08 of the second period, and Dallas also lost a goalie-interference challenge on Hischier’s first goal. Casey DeSmith made 22 saves for Dallas in his third start of the season.
Hischier Leads the Scoring
The captain scored at 2:41 of the first period and again 38 seconds into the second to give New Jersey a 2-0 lead, and he now has a team-high seven goals. Jesper Boqvist made it 3-0 at 11:45 of the second. After Hryckowian’s goal, Luke Hughes answered 28 seconds later, and Jack Hughes added a third-period goal for the final margin. The Devils outshot Dallas 27-17.
The Betting Takeaways
- Dallas defense: Five goals is the most Dallas has allowed in a game this season, and the Stars entered with the NHL’s best goals-against average at 1.68.
- Goaltending: New Jersey’s save percentage was a concern before this game, so Hellebuyck’s arrival is the key storyline for Devils bettors going forward.
- Schedule: The Devils face Colorado on Wednesday, their second game in two nights, so watch the goaltending decision.
New Jersey improved to 8-4-0 and Dallas fell to 7-4-1. The Stars host Montreal on Thursday in our Stars vs Canadiens preview, and you can see how we viewed the Devils last week in our Devils vs Kings picks.
Question for the comments: Does Hellebuyck turn the Devils into a real contender in the East?
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