The Anaheim Ducks, riding high atop the Pacific Division, head to the East Coast for a matinee clash against the slumping New Jersey Devils on Saturday. This matchup pits a surging Anaheim squad—boasting one of the league’s most potent offenses—against a Devils team desperate to snap a brutal home-ice skid. With key absences on both sides, expect a wide-open affair where special teams and goaltending could decide the outcome. Anaheim’s recent road resilience meets New Jersey’s urgency to salvage a disappointing December, setting the stage for an intriguing inter-conference battle.
Game Information
Puckdrop 12:30 p.m. ET (puck drop)
Venue: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey (capacity: 16,514; home of the Devils since 2007)
Broadcast: NHL Network, Victory+ (Ducks local), MSG (Devils local)
Series Context: Second and final meeting of the 2025-26 season (Ducks host the Devils annually in a home-and-home, but this is the return leg after Anaheim’s 4-1 win on Nov. 2).
Injury Report
Both teams are dealing with significant absences, particularly in net and up front, which could amplify scoring chances. Here’s a breakdown:
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Injury/Details | Estimated Return |
| Ducks | Petr Mrazek | G | Out | Lower Body | Indefinite (IR since Dec. 5) |
| Ducks | Lukas Dostal | G | Questionable | Upper Body | Activated from IR Dec. 12; possible return this weekend |
| Devils | Timo Meier | RW | Out | Personal (family health matter) | Indefinite (leave started Dec. 11; misses this weekend) |
| Devils | Arseny Gritsyuk | F | Out | Undisclosed | Misses next two games (through Dec. 14) |
| Devils | Johnathan Kovacevic | D | Out | Knee | Indefinite |
| Devils | Zack MacEwen | C | Out | Lower Body | Indefinite |
| Devils | Marc McLaughlin | C | Out | Undisclosed | Indefinite |
| Devils | Evgenii Dadonov | F | Out | Undisclosed | IR since Dec. 11 |
| Devils | Jack Hughes | C | Out | Hand | Indefinite |
| Devils | Brett Pesce | D | Out | Upper Body | Indefinite |
Anaheim’s goaltending depth is tested without Mrazek, forcing Ville Husso into a heavy workload (8 straight starts). New Jersey’s blue line and forward corps are depleted, with Meier’s absence (11 goals this season) hitting hardest—exacerbating their scoring woes during a 1-6-0 stretch.
Key Player Matchups
This game hinges on Anaheim’s explosive young forwards exploiting New Jersey’s injury-riddled defense versus the Devils’ top-line playmakers trying to contain the Ducks’ speed. Projected lines (subject to last-minute tweaks):
Ducks Top Line (Carlsson – McTavish – Terry) vs. Devils Top Line (Hischier – Mercer – Bratt): Leo Carlsson (17G, 39P in 31GP) has been a revelation, pacing Anaheim with 22 assists and scoring in 6 of his last 8 road games as an underdog. He’ll face Nico Hischier (10G, 15A), who’s shouldered the load sans Hughes and Meier. Jesper Bratt (27P, 21A) snaps a 16-game goalless drought with a PP tally vs. TBL—watch him battle Troy Terry (9G, multi-point threat) for ice time in the offensive zone. Edge: Ducks’ depth.
Ducks Second Line (Gauthier – Strome – Sennecke) vs. Devils Second Line (Cotter – Glass – Brown): Cutter Gauthier (16G, 34P) is on a tear, pacing for a career year and thriving on the wing. Beckett Sennecke (6P in last 5GP) adds rookie fire. New Jersey counters with Paul Cotter (4G) and Cody Glass, but their line lacks punch without Meier. Expect Gauthier to test Devils’ D-man Luke Hughes (2G, struggling defensively).
Goalie Duel: Ville Husso (Ducks) vs. Jake Allen (Devils): Husso (5-3-0, 3.16 GAA, .888 SV%) has stabilized Anaheim’s crease during the injury crunch, stopping 44-of-47 in a recent SO win. Allen (8-7-0, 2.70 GAA, .903 SV%) enters after relieving Jacob Markstrom in an 8-4 loss; he’s 3-1-0 lifetime vs. Anaheim but faces a Ducks attack averaging 3.57 GF/G (2nd in NHL). Edge: Slight to Allen at home, but high-event potential.
Power play edges go to New Jersey (22.8%, 9th in NHL) over Anaheim (18.4%, 18th), but the Ducks’ PK (74.5%, 28th) is a glaring weakness.
Team Records and Standings
Anaheim Ducks: 19-11-1 (39 points, 1st in Pacific Division; tied with VGK). 8-7-1 on road. Advanced stats: 2nd in GF/G (3.57), 24th in GA/G (3.32).
New Jersey Devils: 17-13-1 (35 points, 5th in Metropolitan Division). 9-5-1 at home but 0-5-0 in last 5 home games. Advanced stats: 21st in GF/G (2.90), 20th in GA/G (3.23).
Anaheim’s offensive firepower (tied for NHL lead in comeback wins: 11) contrasts New Jersey’s defensive regression (3.4 GA/G in last 10).
Recent Team Forms
Anaheim enters with momentum after a three-game win streak snapped by a 5-2 road loss to the Islanders on Dec. 11 (outshot 37-33; 0-for-1 PP). Prior: SO win vs. PIT (4-3, tying goal with 0.01s left), 7-0 rout of CHI, and 4-3 SO vs. WSH. Ducks are 6-4-0 in last 10 (3.4 GF/G, 3.5 GA/G), with 11 comeback wins tying the NHL lead—best start since 2014-15.
New Jersey’s form is dire: 8-4 loss to TBL on Dec. 11 (Markstrom pulled after 3 GA on 7 shots; outshot 37-35 but leaky D). Before: 4-3 W vs. OTT (snapping a mini-skid), but overall 1-6-0 in last 7 and 4-6-0 in last 10 (2.7 GF/G, 3.4 GA/G). Five straight home losses (first time since 2021-22) highlight issues; they’ve scored first in just 2 of last 8 but blown leads repeatedly.
| Last 5 Games | Ducks Record | Key Stat | Devils Record | Key Stat |
| vs. NYI (Dec 11) | L 2-5 | 33 SOG, 0/1 PP | vs. TBL (Dec 11) | L 4-8 |
| vs. PIT (Dec 9) | W 4-3 (SO) | 47 SA stopped | vs. OTT (Dec 9) | W 4-3 |
| vs. CHI (Dec 7) | W 7-0 | 53 SOG | vs. BOS (Dec 6) | L 1-4 |
| vs. WSH (Dec 5) | W 4-3 (SO) | 11 comeback wins | vs. DAL (Dec 3) | L 0-3 |
| @ UTA (Dec 3) | L 0-7 | Allowed 7 GF | vs. CBJ (Dec 1) | L 3-5 |
Series History
The Ducks and Devils have a balanced, high-scoring rivalry dating back to 1993 (Anaheim’s inaugural season). Overall regular season: Ducks 22-22-1-2; playoffs: Ducks 3-4 (including Devils’ 2003 Cup Final win). Total: Ducks 25-26-1-2.Last 10 meetings: Even at 5-5-0 for New Jersey. Recent trends favor Anaheim:
Nov. 2, 2025: Ducks 4-1 @ home (Carlsson 2G).
Dec. 31, 2024: Ducks 3-2 @ home.
Oct. 28, 2024: Devils 6-2 @ home.
Mar. 2, 2024: Ducks 4-3 OT @ home.
H2H unders have hit 7-3 in last 10 (avg. 5.4 goals/game). Anaheim is 18-9-1 all-time at home vs. NJ but just 7-17-0 on road; Devils dominate at Prudential (17-7-2 all-time vs. ANA).
Betting Trends
Puck Line: Devils -1.5 (+200); Ducks +1.5 (-245). Devils 4-6 ATS in last 10 home games.
Total: 6.5 (Over +105 / Under -125). Overs 6-4 in Ducks’ last 10 road games; unders 7-3 in H2H.
Trends: Ducks 6-4 as road underdogs; Devils 0-5 SU in last 5 home faves after a loss.
Game Odds
Anaheim Ducks 5.5
New Jersey Devils – 135
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, December 12, 2025
