Lots to dive into as we get set for our early, 12 p.m. pregame show with Rupper, Rachel, and myself... Nothing like a weekend of back-to-back matinee games at the Rock!
WHAT A WILD TRADE LAST NIGHT
Wow... That's all I can really say, still, after seeing this trade go down last night! Plenty to talk about this weekend, especially with VAN coming to town tomorrow. We will have to wait until at least July 1 to see if Quinn is anxious to sign with the Wild and lock down that 8th year on his new contract — which only MIN can provide — or settle on a 7-year deal and play with his brothers 😉
Yes, I would have loved to see something work out with the Devils now, but I’m just glad this noise is over for the time being, so the Devils can just focus on playing hockey.
FRIDAY NIGHT BLOCKBUSTER 🤯
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 13, 2025
Here's the full package that sends Quinn Hughes to the Wild, per @FriedgeHNIC 🔁 pic.twitter.com/78vwalcxYT
BRUTAL GAME FOR MARKY
We were all hoping Marky would build upon his outstanding effort in the second half of the OTT game, but that was obviously not the case.
From Marky's perspective, the good news is that he will likely get a chance to give the Devils a huge bounce-back game tomorrow against VAN, his former team, in the second half of the B2B.
MANAGING THE MOMENTUM MOMENTS
Now, we can point to goaltending all we want, but what was not good enough in this game was the way the Devils managed the most important momentum segments of this game. The Devils conceded not one, not two, not three, but four goals within a 3:30 period after a previous goal was scored.
Rupper, Rachel, and I will break this all down in today's pregame show, but after grinding one out in OTT to snap a 5-game losing streak, the last thing you needed was to have constant emotional letdowns like this.
DISASTEROUS STRETCH FOR THE PK
As I talked about in my last article, I was expecting a bounce-back effort for the PK after it had conceded 3 PPGs in OTT. Well, unfortunately, that was not the case, as TBL went 2/3 on the PP vs. NJD for the second time this season. Jake Allen has to help the Devils stop the bleeding tonight, as the PK is executing at 38.5% (5/13 kills) in the month of December.
GRITS OUT FOR AT LEAST THIS WEEKEND
Boy, was it another punch to the gut to hear Sheldon say Grits has been fighting through an injury and won't be available this weekend. It is yet another brutal blow to the lineup, especially with the traction that Arseny (3-3–6 PTS Last 8 GP) and the ABC line had been starting to generate offensively.
SPOIL COACH Q'S 1800th GAME!
I want to give kudos to ANA HC Joel Queneville, who coached me for four seasons back in my days in STL, as he has done an outstanding job in his first season with ANA, and could very well be in the running for his second Jack Adams if the Ducks continue on this pace.
But make no mistake, I hope the Devils play spoiler on his 1800th game tonight!
Join Rachel, Rupper, and me for this afternoon's pregame show as we break down the Devils' struggles, goaltending, and some keys to getting back in the W column today. LGD!
-Sal
Here are a couple of additional graphics from Thursday night's broadcast!
