Brett Pesce scored the third-period winner as the New Jersey Devils beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Saturday, earning their third consecutive victory in Newark.
The Kings had only 13 shots, and New Jersey won for the fifth time in six games. The result ended Los Angeles’ two-game winning run.
Jake Allen stopped 12 shots. Anthony Mantha and Arseny Gritsyuk scored, Field Level Media reported. Gritsyuk extended his goal streak to five games.
Pesce broke a 1-1 tie at 8:08 of the third period. Los Angeles later had a Trevor Moore goal disallowed for a high stick.
It was Pesce’s first goal in 35 games, dating to December 23 last season, according to NHL.com’s report, ending the defenseman’s lengthy scoring drought.
The Devils completed a three-game homestand that began with wins over Colorado and Anaheim, as outlined in New Jersey Hockey Now’s pregame report. Saturday added the final victory.
New Jersey had beaten the Avalanche 4-3 before defeating the Ducks 4-1. The homestand offered an opportunity to build momentum after an uneven opening stretch.
The defensive performance also fit an established pattern. Entering Saturday, the Devils had outshot every opponent through their first 10 games, despite some inconsistent results.
New Jersey was averaging 34.9 shots and allowing 25.0 per game before the matchup. Those figures made controlling territory an existing strength rather than a new development.
The game came one day after New Jersey acquired Connor Hellebuyck from Winnipeg, a major change to its goaltending plans after a difficult start in net.
Allen remained central to the immediate task. He entered the day with four wins in six starts while the newly acquired Hellebuyck awaited his Devils debut.
For Los Angeles, the defeat interrupted a recovery that included wins at Washington and the Islanders. Saturday was the third stop of its five-game road trip.
The contrast between territorial control and finishing remains important for New Jersey. Limiting chances reduces the burden on its goaltender, but tight games still demand timely offense.
Pesce supplied that decisive contribution Saturday. For a Devils team adjusting to a significant roster move, continuing to win gives those changes a more stable backdrop.
