NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jake Allen registered his first shutout with New Jersey and rookie defenseman Seamus Casey scored early in the second period as the Devils downed the Utah Hockey Club 3-0 on Monday.
Stefan Noesen and Nico Hischier also scored for the Devils, who won for the fourth time in five games. New Jersey missed the playoffs last year.
Utah lost for the first time in four games. They won their home opener over Chicago, then defeated the Islanders and Rangers in overtime to start their current road trip.
Casey scored his third goal of the season on the power play at 1:14 of the middle period. Noesen scored with an assist to Casey at 8:13 of the second and Hischier added a power-play goal at 10:13 of the third.
Karel Vejmelka made 30 saves for Utah in his first start this season. Allen had 20 saves.
Takeaways
The Devils won in Newark for the first time this season. They lost their home opener in New Jersey to Toronto on Thursday. New Jersey beat Buffalo twice in Prague to start the season and also defeated Washington on the road.
Utah still has three wins in four games to begin the campaign. The team, formerly known as the Coyotes, relocated to Salt Lake City from Arizona last spring with the same players, coaching staff and support personnel.
Key moment
Casey’s power-play goal early in the second period snapped a scoreless tie. The 20-year-old defenseman was a second-round draft pick by the Devils in 2022. He has four points in five games.
Key stat
Allen registered his first shutout with the Devils. The 34-year-old netminder, acquired by New Jersey late last season from Montreal, has 25 shutouts in his career.
Utah failed to score on four power-play chances.
Up next
The Devils visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday while Utah will visit the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday to complete a four-game road trip.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Allan Kreda, The Associated Press
