The New Jersey Devils defeated the Florida Panthers 5-1 in regulation, seizing control with a decisive second period. After a 1-1 tie through the first, the Devils outscored Florida 2-0 in the middle frame and added two more in the third to pull away.
Arseni Gritsyuk opened the scoring at 13:00 from Connor Brown, but Anton Lundell answered for Florida at 15:00 to send the first period tied 1-1. The Devils took over early in the second: Dougie Hamilton scored at 22:00 from Jack Hughes, and Cody Glass made it 3-1 at 29:00 off a Hamilton feed. In the third, Dawson Mercer scored unassisted at 57:00, and Simon Nemec closed it out at 60:00 with Brown's second assist.
Dougie Hamilton led all skaters with a goal and an assist, while Connor Brown notched two helpers. The Devils' three-goal third period sealed the victory, with their fourth and fifth goals coming in the final three minutes of regulation.