The Golden Knights vs. Devils matchup turned into exactly the response Vegas needed. The Knights closed their road trip with a 3–0 win in Newark, getting a shutout from Akira Schmid in his first start against the team that drafted him. Vegas improved to 12–6–8 and tightened its defensive identity in the process.
Vegas scored late in the first, added two more in the third, and never allowed New Jersey to generate sustained momentum.
Golden Knights vs. Devils: Schmid’s shutout punctuates return to New Jersey
The storyline entering the night centered on Schmid, who had gone 0–1–2 with 10 goals allowed over his previous three starts and had not played in the last two games. The 23-year-old responded with his sharpest performance of the season, stopping all 24 shots he faced.
Schmid, drafted by the Devils in 2018 and developed through their system before being moved to Vegas, was poised throughout. He controlled rebounds, fought through screens and turned aside multiple dangerous looks from Dougie Hamilton and Timo Meier.
His shutout steadied a Vegas group that has leaned heavily on its defensive structure throughout the trip.
Eichel sparks third-period push
Vegas opened the scoring at 19:47 of the first when Shea Theodore buried a snapshot off a setup from Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin.
Early in the third, Eichel delivered the turning point. He forced a turnover, walked into space and fired home his 12th goal just 86 seconds into the period, giving Vegas a 2–0 cushion.
Minutes later, the Golden Knights struck again on the power play. Tomas Hertl finished a sequence created by Mitch Marner and Pavel Dorofeyev, extending the lead to 3–0 at 4:26 and putting the Devils on their heels for good.
Vegas went 2-for-2 on the power play, while its penalty kill handled both New Jersey opportunities.
Vegas closes strong as Devils skid continues
New Jersey pushed late but struggled to get clean looks. Vegas blocked 19 shots on the night, controlled 53 percent of draws and limited the Devils to one-and-done rushes.
The result extended New Jersey’s losing streak to four and delivered Vegas one of its most complete third periods of the season.
What’s next for the Golden Knights
Now 12–6–8 and riding a three-game winning streak, Vegas continues its road trip Sunday against the New York Rangers at 7 p.m. ET. Schmid’s shutout adds intrigue to the Knights’ goaltending picture as they look to carry this momentum into the second stop of their East Coast swing.
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