New Jersey DevilsNJD 3–1 Final St. Louis BluesSTL

Saturday, February 28, 2026

Final 1st2nd3rd T SOG
New Jersey DevilsNJD 021 3 33
St. Louis BluesSTL 001 1 26
Playoff odds, % Change
NJD +0.1
STL -0.1

How the result moved each team's playoff odds, calculated Feb 28, 2026 4:51 PM EST.

Highlights

Scoring

1st Period
No scoring
2nd Period
5:37 NJD Timo Meier (16) Brett Pesce (6), Luke Hughes (22) · wrist xG 0.06 1–0 ▶
19:44 NJD Dougie Hamilton (8)PP Jack Hughes (27), Jacob Markstrom (3) · snap xG 0.07 2–0 ▶
3rd Period
18:42 STL Pavel Buchnevich (13) Pius Suter (11) · wrist xG 0.41 2–1 ▶
19:55 NJD Nico Hischier (20)EN Jesper Bratt (30), Connor Brown (13) · wrist xG 0.92 3–1 ▶

Score away–home after each goal; season totals in parentheses.

Shot quality

Expected goals (xG) rate every unblocked shot by how often shots like it go in, from where it was taken, the shot type, the strength and what happened just before it. How it works

NJD 72%Deserve to win28% STL
NJDSTL
4.32Expected goals1.81
3Goals (no shootout)1
2.63Expected goals, 5 on 51.15
60Shot attempts53
48Unblocked attempts40
33Shots on goal26

Game notes

What stood out as the game went on, from the play-by-play and the shifts. Time on the bench is counted in 5-on-5 play outside the penalty box; the note says the player sat, not why. Goals saved are against the shots' expected goals (xG).

2nd Period
2:53 NJD Deserve to win Deserve to win · NJD takes the lead, 60–40%
STL had led since 7:41 of the 1st, by as much as 63%
16:10 NJD xG swing xG swing · Out-chanced STL 1.38–0.14
In xG over 10 minutes, 6:40 to 16:40 of the 2nd; neither team scored
3rd Period
16:44 STL Pulled goalie Pulled goalie · Pulled Binnington, down 2–0
With 3:16 left; STL scored at 18:42 of the 3rd (2–1); NJD scored at 19:55 of the 3rd (3–1)

Shot map

NJD shoots ←Bigger circle: higher xG; filled: goal→ STL shoots
Jesper Bratt: wrist, 31 ft, xG 0.04 (P1 0:29) Dylan Holloway: backhand, 17 ft, xG 0.09 (P1 1:16) Logan Mailloux: slap, 62 ft, xG 0.00 (P1 1:20) Arseny Gritsyuk: wrist, 37 ft, xG 0.04 (P1 2:25) Jack Hughes: wrist, 23 ft, xG 0.08 (P1 5:12) Matthew Kessel: wrist, 23 ft, xG 0.07 (P1 5:39) Justin Faulk: wrist, 49 ft, xG 0.00 (P1 6:29) Dalibor Dvorsky: wrist, 32 ft, xG 0.09 (P1 6:34) Jimmy Snuggerud: tip-in, 10 ft, xG 0.09 (P1 6:39) Dylan Holloway: wrist, 50 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 7:09) Jimmy Snuggerud: wrist, 29 ft, xG 0.12 (P1 7:41) Matthew Kessel: wrist, 59 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 7:47) Timo Meier: wrist, 8 ft, xG 0.15 (P1 8:30) Brett Pesce: wrist, 64 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 8:35) Dougie Hamilton: wrist, 67 ft, xG 0.00 (P1 8:57) Connor Brown: wrist, 15 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 8:58) Connor Brown: wrist, 37 ft, xG 0.04 (P1 9:18) Timo Meier: wrist, 36 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 9:45) Timo Meier: wrist, 43 ft, xG 0.03 (P1 9:49) Jesper Bratt: snap, 45 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 11:46) Brett Pesce: tip-in, 19 ft, xG 0.07 (P1 12:15) Brayden Schenn: wrist, 30 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 12:32) Logan Mailloux: slap, 58 ft, xG 0.04 (P1 12:44) Jesper Bratt: wrist, 25 ft, xG 0.20 (P1 14:00) Jimmy Snuggerud: wrist, 41 ft, xG 0.05 (P1 15:04) Timo Meier: tip-in, 15 ft, xG 0.05 (P1 16:05) Jake Neighbours: backhand, 57 ft, xG 0.01 (P1 16:45) Justin Faulk: wrist, 42 ft, xG 0.04 (P1 17:42) Simon Nemec: wrist, 62 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 18:17) Jack Hughes: wrist, 34 ft, xG 0.05 (P1 18:29) Dalibor Dvorsky: wrist, 14 ft, xG 0.02 (P1 19:16) Dalibor Dvorsky: wrist, 33 ft, xG 0.05 (P1 19:27) Jesper Bratt: backhand, 7 ft, xG 0.11 (P2 0:13) Logan Mailloux: wrist, 184 ft, xG 0.00 (P2 1:03) Timo Meier: wrist, 30 ft, xG 0.11 (P2 2:13) Maxim Tsyplakov: wrist, 7 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 2:53) Connor Brown: slap, 21 ft, xG 0.06 (P2 4:23) Jack Hughes: wrist, 33 ft, xG 0.03 (P2 5:04) Brett Pesce: wrist, 27 ft, xG 0.11 (P2 5:10) Luke Hughes: wrist, 53 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 5:21) Dylan Holloway: wrist, 55 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 6:36) Luke Hughes: wrist, 21 ft, xG 0.03 (P2 8:27) Arseny Gritsyuk: wrist, 36 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 8:54) Pavel Buchnevich: wrist, 72 ft, xG 0.00 (P2 9:11) Pavel Buchnevich: wrist, 58 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 9:27) Timo Meier: wrist, 22 ft, xG 0.11 (P2 10:02) Jake Neighbours: wrist, 40 ft, xG 0.05 (P2 10:10) Dylan Holloway: wrist, 43 ft, xG 0.01 (P2 10:41) Lenni Hameenaho: deflected, 10 ft, xG 0.13 (P2 11:27) Connor Brown: tip-in, 22 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 11:30) Arseny Gritsyuk: wrist, 36 ft, xG 0.07 (P2 11:35) Timo Meier: tip-in, 30 ft, xG 0.04 (P2 12:48) Nico Hischier: wrist, 28 ft, xG 0.16 (P2 13:33) Timo Meier: tip-in, 7 ft, xG 0.13 (P2 13:36) Alexey Toropchenko: wrist, 35 ft, xG 0.07 (P2 14:43) Dougie Hamilton: slap, 67 ft, xG 0.00 (P2 14:58) Jack Hughes: wrist, 33 ft, xG 0.05 (P2 15:56) Timo Meier: wrist, 7 ft, xG 0.27 (P2 16:03) Timo Meier: wrist, 17 ft, xG 0.31 (P2 16:06) Timo Meier: backhand, 10 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 16:09) Jimmy Snuggerud: wrist, 36 ft, xG 0.02 (P2 16:50) Dougie Hamilton: slap, 168 ft, xG 0.00 (P2 17:01) Philip Broberg: wrist, 49 ft, xG 0.03 (P2 18:18) Tyler Tucker: wrist, 58 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 0:20) Philip Broberg: wrist, 53 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 0:39) Dylan Holloway: slap, 48 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 2:33) Dalibor Dvorsky: backhand, 29 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 4:08) Nick Bjugstad: slap, 48 ft, xG 0.05 (P3 5:34) Alexey Toropchenko: wrist, 53 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 6:06) Jimmy Snuggerud: slap, 30 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 6:52) Dalibor Dvorsky: wrist, 31 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 8:01) Justin Faulk: backhand, 13 ft, xG 0.03 (P3 8:07) Simon Nemec: wrist, 58 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 8:38) Dawson Mercer: wrist, 41 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 8:55) Dylan Holloway: wrist, 16 ft, xG 0.10 (P3 11:04) Jordan Kyrou: wrist, 43 ft, xG 0.04 (P3 13:35) Timo Meier: wrist, 39 ft, xG 0.06 (P3 13:44) Dylan Holloway: wrist, 31 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 14:22) Jimmy Snuggerud: slap, 66 ft, xG 0.01 (P3 14:42) Jack Hughes: backhand, 23 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 16:19) Pius Suter: wrist, 22 ft, xG 0.02 (P3 16:41) Jesper Bratt: wrist, 101 ft, xG 0.21 (P3 17:08) Dawson Mercer: wrist, 163 ft, xG 0.18 (P3 17:53) Jimmy Snuggerud: slap, 20 ft, xG 0.08 (P3 18:07) Timo Meier: GOAL, wrist, 35 ft, xG 0.06 (P2 5:37) Dougie Hamilton: GOAL, snap, 42 ft, xG 0.07 (P2 19:44) Pavel Buchnevich: GOAL, wrist, 4 ft, xG 0.41 (P3 18:42) Nico Hischier: GOAL, wrist, 29 ft, xG 0.92 (P3 19:55)
About these numbers

xG comes from hockeystats.io's own model, a gradient-boosted tree model trained on every unblocked shot from the 2021-22 to 2025-26 regular seasons using the NHL's public play-by-play. Each shot's value is the share of similar shots that became goals. A team's xG is the sum over its shots; "deserve to win" asks how often the team would outscore its opponent if every shot went in at exactly that rate. Blocked shots count as attempts but have no xG (the NHL records where they were blocked, not where they were taken), so the map leaves them out.

Box score

New Jersey Devils

Skater GAP+/− AttxG HitBlkTOI
Forwards
28 Timo Meier 101 0 171.35 2319:16
13 Nico Hischier 101 +1 21.08 0118:33
91 Dawson Mercer 000 +1 40.22 1118:26
63 Jesper Bratt 011 +1 50.57 2017:50
16 Connor Brown 011 0 50.14 0016:40
86 Jack Hughes 011 0 60.24 0016:05
12 Cody Glass 000 0 00.00 1014:35
81 Arseny Gritsyuk 000 0 30.15 0013:06
29 Lenni Hameenaho 000 0 10.13 0012:02
72 Nick Bjugstad 000 0 20.05 1011:52
72 Maxim Tsyplakov 000 0 10.04 1108:53
47 Paul Cotter 000 0 10.00 2008:25
Defense
71 Jonas Siegenthaler 000 +1 10.00 1221:19
7 Dougie Hamilton 101 +1 40.07 0120:28
43 Luke Hughes 011 +1 20.05 0120:10
5 Brenden Dillon 000 -1 00.00 1020:03
22 Brett Pesce 011 0 30.19 0218:21
71 Simon Nemec 000 0 20.04 0017:56
Goalie SAGA SVSV% xGA GSAx
Jacob Markstrom 26125 .962 1.81 +0.81

St. Louis Blues

Skater GAP+/− AttxG HitBlkTOI
Forwards
21 Jimmy Snuggerud 000 0 70.41 1020:04
22 Pius Suter 011 0 10.02 0019:51
81 Dylan Holloway 000 0 80.28 1019:22
89 Pavel Buchnevich 101 0 40.42 0118:20
10 Brayden Schenn 000 0 10.02 4018:11
25 Jordan Kyrou 000 -1 30.04 0017:59
15 Dalibor Dvorsky 000 +1 60.22 0017:23
63 Jake Neighbours 000 -1 20.05 2015:50
29 Jonatan Berggren 000 0 00.00 0114:31
13 Alexey Toropchenko 000 0 30.08 2009:03
37 Jack Finley 000 -1 00.00 2008:41
26 Nathan Walker 000 -1 00.00 6007:51
Defense
72 Justin Faulk 000 -2 40.07 2123:15
6 Philip Broberg 000 0 20.05 1121:43
17 Cam Fowler 000 0 30.00 0121:22
23 Logan Mailloux 000 +1 50.05 3320:35
4 Matthew Kessel 000 0 20.09 3013:39
75 Tyler Tucker 000 -1 20.02 2313:33
Goalie SAGA SVSV% xGA GSAx
Jordan Binnington 32230 .938 3.01 +1.01

Skaters by time on ice. Goalie lines count shots with the goalie in net, from the NHL play-by-play.

Player ratings

What each player added to the result, in goals, from most to least. Hover a number for what it's made of.

New Jersey Devils

Player Rating Points Shots On ice Pen FO Other GSAx TOI
28 Timo Meier R +3.15 +0.75 +0.88 +1.53 -0.15 -0.01 +0.15 — 19:16
13 Nico Hischier C +2.62 +0.75 +0.70 +1.17 0.00 -0.01 +0.01 — 18:33
22 Brett Pesce D +1.89 +0.70 +0.12 +0.84 +0.15 0.00 +0.08 — 18:21
91 Dawson Mercer C +1.69 0.00 +0.14 +1.58 0.00 0.00 -0.03 — 18:26
86 Jack Hughes C +1.66 +0.70 +0.15 +0.96 -0.15 -0.01 0.00 — 16:05
43 Luke Hughes D +1.58 +0.55 +0.03 +0.93 0.00 0.00 +0.07 — 20:10
25 Jacob Markstrom G +1.36 +0.55 — — 0.00 — — +0.81 60:00
63 Jesper Bratt L +1.24 +0.70 +0.37 +0.02 +0.15 0.00 0.00 — 17:50
16 Connor Brown R +1.13 +0.55 +0.09 +0.52 0.00 0.00 -0.04 — 16:40
5 Brenden Dillon D +1.01 0.00 0.00 +1.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 20:03
17 Simon Nemec D +0.95 0.00 +0.03 +0.99 0.00 0.00 -0.06 — 17:56
81 Arseny Gritsyuk R +0.74 0.00 +0.10 +0.62 0.00 0.00 +0.02 — 13:06
7 Dougie Hamilton D +0.59 +0.75 +0.05 -0.11 -0.15 0.00 +0.05 — 20:28
29 Lenni Hameenaho R +0.03 0.00 +0.08 -0.05 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 12:02
71 Jonas Siegenthaler D 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.10 0.00 0.00 +0.10 — 21:19
12 Cody Glass C -0.03 0.00 0.00 -0.08 0.00 +0.05 0.00 — 14:35
72 Nick Bjugstad C -0.18 0.00 +0.03 -0.20 0.00 -0.01 0.00 — 11:52
42 Maxim Tsyplakov R -0.32 0.00 +0.02 -0.40 0.00 0.00 +0.05 — 8:53
47 Paul Cotter L -0.34 0.00 0.00 -0.34 0.00 0.00 0.00 — 8:25

St. Louis Blues

Player Rating Points Shots On ice Pen FO Other GSAx TOI
50 Jordan Binnington G +1.01 0.00 — — 0.00 — — +1.01 56:16
89 Pavel Buchnevich L +0.27 +0.75 +0.27 -0.79 0.00 -0.01 +0.05 — 18:20
13 Alexey Toropchenko R +0.13 0.00 +0.05 +0.05 0.00 0.00 +0.02 — 9:03
75 Tyler Tucker D +0.12 0.00 +0.01 -0.04 0.00 0.00 +0.15 — 13:33
51 Matthew Kessel D +0.05 0.00 +0.06 +0.14 -0.15 0.00 0.00 — 13:39
10 Brayden Schenn C +0.04 0.00 +0.01 0.00 0.00 +0.03 0.00 — 18:11
54 Dalibor Dvorsky R +0.01 0.00 +0.14 -0.09 0.00 -0.04 0.00 — 17:23
22 Pius Suter C -0.01 +0.70 +0.01 -0.74 0.00 +0.02 0.00 — 19:51
29 Jonatan Berggren R -0.10 0.00 0.00 -0.15 0.00 0.00 +0.05 — 14:31
26 Nathan Walker L -0.18 0.00 0.00 -0.16 0.00 0.00 -0.02 — 7:51
37 Jack Finley C -0.33 0.00 0.00 -0.16 -0.15 -0.02 0.00 — 8:41
6 Philip Broberg D -0.36 0.00 +0.03 -0.44 0.00 0.00 +0.05 — 21:43
21 Jimmy Snuggerud R -0.37 0.00 +0.27 -0.66 0.00 0.00 +0.02 — 20:04
81 Dylan Holloway L -0.48 0.00 +0.19 -0.83 +0.15 +0.01 0.00 — 19:22
72 Justin Faulk D -0.52 0.00 +0.05 -0.62 0.00 0.00 +0.05 — 23:15
25 Jordan Kyrou R -0.84 0.00 +0.02 -0.81 0.00 0.00 -0.06 — 17:59
23 Logan Mailloux D -0.95 0.00 +0.03 -1.26 +0.15 0.00 +0.13 — 20:35
63 Jake Neighbours L -1.03 0.00 +0.04 -1.00 0.00 0.00 -0.06 — 15:50
17 Cam Fowler D -1.32 0.00 0.00 -1.33 0.00 0.00 +0.01 — 21:22

An expected-goals take on Dom Luszczyszyn's Game Score: goals and assists, the quality of a player's own shots, shot quality for and against while they were on the ice at 5v5, penalties, faceoffs and puck plays, all in goals; goalies by goals saved above expected. From the NHL play-by-play and shift charts.