Happy New Year, everyone!!! 🎉 🏒
ENDED 2025 WITH A BANG, NOW CARRY IT INTO 2026!
Following the heroic, potentially season-saving 3rd Period CBW by the Devils on New Year’s Eve, I think it is safe to say that we are all fired up and eager to see if the Devils can bottle up that third period and take it into 2026 today. This weekend at the Rock sets the tone for the new calendar year, and it all starts with an emotional, energetic first period this afternoon!!! 🔥
WILL VINTAGE DOUGIE RETURN IN 2026?!
Dougie's struggles have been no secret. He enters today’s game on a 26-game goal drought (T-longest of his career) and with 10 minor penalties in his last 19 GP, including the two tripping minors he took last game in Columbus.
Now, some numbers and history have been helping us get some of these goal droughts snapped lately — this one to snap Bratter’s 6-game drought and Nico’s goals vs. CBJ to bookend his 13-game drought — So, I can’t help but throw up a prayer for Dougie, now, too!!
To find the last time Dougie scored a goal that snapped a 20+ Game Goal Drought, you’d have to go back to the 2018-19 season when he was with CAR.
The date he snapped that goal drought? Yes, you guessed it: January 3, the first game of the new year that season, which also came after a 2-day break following a W for the Canes on New Year’s Eve. And, not to get ahead of myself, but the floodgates flew open for Dougie after he finally snapped that drought, as he then scored again the very next day — Jan. 4 — and again on Jan. 6 for a 3-game goal streak!
(OK… maybe I’m getting ahead of myself… Let’s just start with one goal today!!🤞)
Here are my 2026 New Year's resolutions for the Devils:
Forget about 2025. The goal droughts, the bad bounces, the struggles, leave it all in the rearview mirror. You can’t change the past, so don’t let it weigh you down.
Reset your mindset. Stop gripping your stick and playing with doubt. Clear the mental slate and get back to playing with swagger and instinct.
Bring more each game. ‘Good’ isn’t cutting it. You need to bring ‘more’ — more energy, more sacrifice, more emotion, more urgency, and more desperation every single shift. 
Focus on what you can control. You can’t control the refs or the bounces, but you can control your work ethic, attention to detail, and commitment to playing the right way. Lock in on those controllables, and this season turns around.
LOVIN’ THIS MATCHUP
• The Devils are 3-0-0 against UTA all-time, and have held them to only three total goals in these first three meetings. Marky, Jaker, and Dawsy have combined for nearly 6 GSAE. 💪
• The first and only time UTA has been to the Rock, back on Oct. 14, 2024, the Devils handed them their first loss in franchise history, thanks to a 20-save shutout by Jake Allen. Time to hand them their first loss of 2026!
DEMANDING ATTENTION TO DETAIL
UTA started 2026 with an absolute pounding of the Isles (7-2 W) on New Year’s Day, in which they scored 7 Goals on 21 Shots – including three from Dylan Guenther for his first-career hatty (3-1–4 PTS). So, all head-to-head history aside, 60 minutes of attention to detail are required to keep this young, dynamic team off the board today, because they don't need many chances to make you pay.
Be sure to tune into this afternoon's pregame show, starting at 2:30 p.m. on MSGSN. Should be a fun one; LGD!
-Sal
Here are a couple of additional graphics from Wednesday night's broadcast!
