New Jersey Devils at Minnesota Wild
NHL game between the New Jersey Devils and the Minnesota Wild on Jan 12, 2026. Final score: New Jersey Devils 5, Minnesota Wild 2.
| Status | Final |
|---|---|
| Date | Jan 12, 2026 |
| Venue | Grand Casino Arena |
| New Jersey Devils score | 5 |
| Minnesota Wild score | 2 |
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 | Ondrej Palat | L | 2 | 0 | 2 | 14:36 | 0.34 | 1.75 |
| 2nd | Jesper Bratt | L | 2 | 0 | 4 | 15:42 | 0.46 | 1.65 |
| 3rd | Dawson Mercer | C | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16:36 | 0.28 | 1.49 |
Scoring Summary
| Time | Team | Goal | Assists | Strength | Score (New Jersey Devils–Minnesota Wild) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 10:07 | NJD | Dawson Mercer | Nico Hischier | 5v5 | 1–0 |
| 2nd 13:41 | MIN | Ryan Hartman | Brock Faber, Marcus Johansson | 5v5 | 1–1 |
| 2nd 19:52 | NJD | Ondrej Palat | Nico Hischier, Jonas Siegenthaler | 5v5 | 2–1 |
| 3rd 07:28 | NJD | Jesper Bratt | Dougie Hamilton, Jack Hughes | 5v5 | 3–1 |
| 3rd 07:49 | NJD | Jesper Bratt | Dougie Hamilton, Brenden Dillon | 5v5 | 4–1 |
| 3rd 09:39 | NJD | Ondrej Palat | Dawson Mercer | 5v5 | 5–1 |
| 3rd 19:41 | MIN | Marcus Foligno | Jonas Brodin, Vinnie Hinostroza | 5v4 | 5–2 |
Team Comparison
| New Jersey Devils | Minnesota Wild | |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 2 |
| Shots on goal | 29 | 23 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 2.78 | 2.68 |
| High-danger shots | 14 | 15 |
| Corsi % | 47.9% | 52.1% |
| Power play | 0/2 | 1/2 |
| Faceoff % | 57.6% | 42.4% |
| Hits | 18 | 16 |
| Blocks | 19 | 14 |
| Giveaways | 12 | 14 |
| Takeaways | 3 | 4 |
New Jersey Devils Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ondrej Palat | L | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 14:36 | 0.34 | 1.75 |
| Jesper Bratt | L | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 15:42 | 0.46 | 1.65 |
| Dawson Mercer | C | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 16:36 | 0.28 | 1.49 |
| Dougie Hamilton | D | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 19:08 | 0.13 | 1.38 |
| Nico Hischier | C | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 18:13 | 0.29 | 1.33 |
| Jonas Siegenthaler | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 19:45 | 0.03 | 0.74 |
| Brenden Dillon | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16:07 | 0.01 | 0.69 |
| Jack Hughes | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19:04 | 0.25 | 0.54 |
| Johnathan Kovacevic | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:19 | 0.02 | 0.20 |
| Cody Glass | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:31 | 0.08 | 0.15 |
| Timo Meier | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18:12 | 0.23 | 0.15 |
| Evgenii Dadonov | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:22 | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Brett Pesce | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 19:22 | 0.09 | 0.05 |
| Arseny Gritsyuk | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15:19 | 0.01 | 0.00 |
| Connor Brown | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16:12 | 0.13 | -0.05 |
| Luke Hughes | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 22:38 | 0.09 | -0.05 |
| Paul Cotter | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9:31 | 0.11 | -0.05 |
| Luke Glendening | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10:20 | 0.00 | -0.10 |
Minnesota Wild Skaters
| Player | Pos | G | A | P | SOG | TOI | xG | Game Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Hartman | R | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 16:51 | 0.63 | 0.80 |
| Marcus Foligno | L | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 15:40 | 0.21 | 0.70 |
| Marcus Johansson | L | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16:17 | 0.30 | 0.69 |
| Brock Faber | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 26:35 | 0.06 | 0.69 |
| Jonas Brodin | D | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 18:24 | 0.04 | 0.64 |
| Vinnie Hinostroza | C | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9:16 | 0.02 | 0.59 |
| Kirill Kaprizov | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 18:59 | 0.03 | 0.20 |
| Yakov Trenin | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11:57 | 0.08 | 0.15 |
| Jake Middleton | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16:04 | 0.00 | 0.15 |
| Jared Spurgeon | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:05 | 0.05 | 0.10 |
| Matt Boldy | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 19:35 | 0.72 | 0.10 |
| Ben Jones | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8:39 | 0.04 | 0.10 |
| Danila Yurov | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15:06 | 0.00 | 0.05 |
| Daemon Hunt | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13:37 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Nico Sturm | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13:22 | 0.15 | 0.00 |
| Quinn Hughes | D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 26:06 | 0.21 | -0.05 |
| Mats Zuccarello | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18:47 | 0.09 | -0.05 |
| Vladimir Tarasenko | R | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12:40 | 0.22 | -0.10 |
Goaltending
| Goalie | Team | SV | SA | SV% | GSAx | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Markstrom | New Jersey Devils | 21 | 23 | 91.3% | -1.12 | W |
| Jesper Wallstedt | Minnesota Wild | 24 | 29 | 82.8% | -0.97 | L |
Analysis
The New Jersey Devils defeated the Minnesota Wild 5–2 on Jan 12, 2026.
Minnesota Wild generated 2.68 expected goals to New Jersey Devils's 2.78 — the run of play matched the result, with New Jersey Devils earning the better chances as well as the goals; by expected goals it was close to a coin flip.
Ondrej Palat led all skaters with a Game Score of 1.75 on 2 goals, 2 shots on goal.
Jesper Wallstedt stopped 24 of 29, worth -0.97 goals saved above expected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the New Jersey Devils vs Minnesota Wild game?
The New Jersey Devils beat the Minnesota Wild 5–2 on Jan 12, 2026.
What was the final score?
The final score was New Jersey Devils 5, Minnesota Wild 2.
Who was the best player in this game?
By Game Score — a single-number summary of everything a skater did — Ondrej Palat led all skaters at 1.75, on 2G, 0A and 2 shots on goal.
Which team deserved to win by expected goals?
Minnesota Wild generated 2.68 expected goals and New Jersey Devils generated 2.78, so New Jersey Devils created the better chances. That matches the result.
What were the shot totals?
New Jersey Devils put 29 shots on goal and Minnesota Wild put 23. High-danger chances went 14 to 15.
How did the goaltenders play?
Jacob Markstrom stopped 21 of 23 (-1.12 goals saved above expected); Jesper Wallstedt stopped 24 of 29 (-0.97 goals saved above expected).