New Jersey Devils at Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL game between the New Jersey Devils and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan 08, 2026. Final score: New Jersey Devils 1, Pittsburgh Penguins 4.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 08, 2026 |
| Venue | PPG Paints Arena |
| New Jersey Devils score | 1 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins score | 4 |
Shot charts, expected goals (xG), Game Score and advanced box scores for this game are available on Hockey Alchemy.
Three Stars by Game Score
Ranked by Game Score, which rolls goals, assists, shot quality, play-driving and penalties into one number — so the best player is chosen by the box score, not by a vote.
| Player | Pos | G | A | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Rickard Rakell | R | 0 | 2 | 4 | 19:11 | 1.06 | 1.93 |
| 2nd | Sidney Crosby | C | 0 | 2 | 1 | 17:33 | 0.01 | 1.80 |
| 3rd | Erik Karlsson | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22:56 | 0.06 | 1.79 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (New Jersey Devils–Pittsburgh Penguins) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 06:39 | PIT | Erik Karlsson | Rickard Rakell, Sidney Crosby | 5v5 | 0–1 |
| 2nd 05:23 | PIT | Connor Dewar | Rickard Rakell, Kris Letang | 5v5 | 0–2 |
| 2nd 19:07 | PIT | Evgeni Malkin | Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson | 5v3 | 0–3 |
| 3rd 02:55 | NJD | Luke Hughes | Dougie Hamilton, Jack Hughes | 4v5 | 1–3 |
| 3rd 13:26 | PIT | Blake Lizotte | Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar | 5v5 | 1–4 |
Team Comparison
| New Jersey Devils | Pittsburgh Penguins | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 1 | 4 |
| Shots on goal | 29 | 29 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.98 | 3.46 |
| High-danger shots | 17 | 19 |
| Corsi % | 46.0% | 54.0% |
| Power play | 1/2 | 1/3 |
| Faceoff % | 55.9% | 44.1% |
| Hits | 25 | 10 |
| Blocks | 19 | 16 |
| Giveaways | 18 | 22 |
| Takeaways | 6 | 5 |
New Jersey Devils Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Hughes | D | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 20:15 | 0.12 | 1.41 |
| Jack Hughes | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 17:14 | 0.42 | 0.61 |
| Dougie Hamilton | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 20:52 | 0.03 | 0.42 |
| Cody Glass | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13:32 | 0.49 | 0.21 |
| Nico Hischier | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 20:47 | 0.28 | 0.21 |
| Ondrej Palat | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9:13 | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Paul Cotter | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:22 | 0.22 | 0.06 |
| Timo Meier | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 16:25 | 0.24 | 0.06 |
| Brenden Dillon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:26 | 0.04 | 0.03 |
| Luke Glendening | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:47 | 0.00 | -0.06 |
| Arseny Gritsyuk | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14:44 | 0.14 | -0.16 |
| Jonas Siegenthaler | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22:56 | 0.01 | -0.16 |
| Simon Nemec | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17:49 | 0.11 | -0.21 |
| Stefan Noesen | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8:16 | 0.00 | -0.23 |
| Jesper Bratt | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:16 | 0.29 | -0.30 |
| Connor Brown | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:21 | 0.09 | -0.35 |
| Dawson Mercer | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17:37 | 0.27 | -0.51 |
| Brett Pesce | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17:20 | 0.12 | -0.68 |
Pittsburgh Penguins Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rickard Rakell | R | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 19:11 | 1.06 | 1.93 |
| Sidney Crosby | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 17:33 | 0.01 | 1.80 |
| Erik Karlsson | D | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 22:56 | 0.06 | 1.79 |
| Connor Dewar | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11:43 | 0.17 | 1.60 |
| Blake Lizotte | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12:40 | 0.12 | 1.40 |
| Kris Letang | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22:54 | 0.05 | 1.26 |
| Noel Acciari | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 13:36 | 0.18 | 1.03 |
| Parker Wotherspoon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20:04 | 0.00 | 0.87 |
| Evgeni Malkin | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 18:19 | 0.86 | 0.51 |
| Bryan Rust | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:29 | 0.19 | 0.44 |
| Ryan Shea | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14:56 | 0.12 | 0.40 |
| Yegor Chinakhov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:02 | 0.12 | 0.08 |
| Justin Brazeau | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 12:47 | 0.16 | 0.05 |
| Jack St. Ivany | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14:33 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Anthony Mantha | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11:33 | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| Ben Kindel | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17:42 | 0.26 | -0.09 |
| Tommy Novak | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10:57 | 0.06 | -0.14 |
| Brett Kulak | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20:42 | 0.07 | -0.15 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Allen | New Jersey Devils | 25 | 29 | 86.2% | -0.96 | L |
| Stuart Skinner | Pittsburgh Penguins | 28 | 29 | 96.6% | 1.70 | W |
Analysis
The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the New Jersey Devils 4–1 on Jan 08, 2026.
Pittsburgh Penguins generated 3.46 expected goals to New Jersey Devils's 2.98 — the run of play matched the result, with Pittsburgh Penguins earning the better chances as well as the goals; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Rickard Rakell led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.93 on 2 assists, 4 shots on goal.
Stuart Skinner stopped 28 of 29, worth 1.7 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the New Jersey Devils vs Pittsburgh Penguins game?
The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New Jersey Devils 4–1 on Jan 08, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was Pittsburgh Penguins 4, New Jersey Devils 1.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Rickard Rakell led all skaters at 1.93, on 0G, 2A and 4 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Pittsburgh Penguins generated 3.46 expected goals and New Jersey Devils generated 2.98, so Pittsburgh Penguins created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
New Jersey Devils put 29 shots on goal and Pittsburgh Penguins put 29. High-danger chances went 17 to 19.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jake Allen stopped 25 of 29 (-0.96 goals saved above expected); Stuart Skinner stopped 28 of 29 (1.7 goals saved above expected).