NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Shea Theodore had a goal and an assist, Akira Schmid got a shutout against his former team, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the New Jersey Devils 3-0 on Friday night.

Tomas Hertl and Ivan Barbashev also scored and Jack Eichel had two assists for Vegas, which has won three straight after a four-game skid (0-2-2). Schmid, who spent three seasons with New Jersey before being traded to Vegas on June 29, 2024, finished with 24 saves to get his third career shutout — second this season.

Jacob Markstrom had 24 saves for the Devils, who were shut out for the second straight game and finished a winless four-game homestand (0-4-0). New Jersey lost 3-0 to Dallas on Wednesday night.

The Devils shuffled all four lines and got off to a slow start as they were outshot 13-5 in the first period.

Theodore got the Golden Knights on the scoreboard with 13 seconds left in the opening period, scoring from the right circle after a pass from Eichel.

New Jersey then outshot Vegas 11-7 in a scoreless second period.

There were no penalties until Vegas’ Brandon Saad was sent off for tripping at 2:16 of the third period. The Devils had only one shot on goal during the advantage.

New Jersey got another power play nearly 10 minutes later when Noah Hanifin was called for delay of game for sending the puck over the glass, but the Devils were held without a shot on goal.

The Golden Knights got their first power play 5 seconds after their penalty expired as New Jersey’s Nico Hischier was whistled for hooking. Hertl took advantage as he tipped Mitch Marner’s one-timer past Markstrom with 4:26 remaining for his team-leading 12th of the season.

With Hischier in the penalty box again, Barbashev scored on the rebound of Eichel’s shot from center point that hit the left post with 1:24 left.

Up next

Golden Knights: At New York Rangers on Sunday night.

Devils: At Boston on Saturday night.

Hunter Haight has been with the team for seven games. He has not played in any of those games. Sometimes having a young guy be with the team on the road trip or any game for that matter, can be a great thing for their development.

Haight, 21, was fantastic in training camp and in the preseason. He impressed the staff so much he made the team out of camp and started the season by playing in the first two games. He was then sent down.

Since being called up, Haight was scratched for five games before he was sent down where he played in an AHL game with the Iowa Wild.

Minnesota called him back up for the road trip and he has been scratched for the last two games. The Wild's fourth line is Liam Ohgren, Ben Jones and Tyler Pitlick.

The three of them have a combined zero points. Ohgren is a minus-3 in 15 games, Pitlick is a minus-2 in 17 games and Jones is a minus-5 in 15 games.

Jones, 26, is a seventh round draft pick and played in 26 games last year for Minnesota and didn't record a point. He had three points last year all taken off because he ran into the goaltender and it was overturned for goalie interference.

In 15 games this year and 43 in his NHL career over three seasons, Jones has zero points. Believe it or not, in 15 games this year Jones has not been on the ice for a single goal for. His expected goals numbers aren't much better.

Jones' on-ice expected goals is 31% which is the second worst on the Wild behind Ohgren. The line as a trio is tied for 22nd worst in the NHL for expected goals against per 60 minutes. They rank 262 out of 284 lines.

The trio ranks as the worst line in the NHL in expected goals for per 60 minutes. That is 284 out of 284. They have recorded 19 shots as a trio and have allowed 45. They rank dead last in Corsi For %. 284 out of 284. Do they allow shots?

You bet. 78.76 shots against (Corsi) per 60 minutes. Only three lines in the NHL have a worse rating. They also rank dead last in Fenwick and third to last in Fenwick against. 

What is Corsi and Fenwick? 

Corsi counts all shot attempts, including shots on goal, missed shots, and blocked shots. Fenwick is a variation of Corsi that excludes blocked shots, counting only shots on goal, missed shots, and shots that hit the post.

So in conclusion, the data suggests they are one of the worst lines in the NHL when it comes to allowing offense and generating offense.

Meanwhile the Wild's 47th overall pick from the 2022 NHL Draft is sitting in the press box and the Wild's 19th overall pick from the same Draft is playing between two guys who have combined for zero points in 32 games.

Haight scored 20 goals in his rookie season in the AHL. He scored a few in the preseason this year and impressed the Wild. Maybe not enough though considering Jones, Pitlick and Ohgren are still playing.

It doesn't seem to matter what Ohgren or anyone else around him does. He will continue to be sheltered and play limited minutes. Almost every one of his goals and assists in his career have come when he was playing in the top-nine.

At some point, development has to come with opportunity. Whether or not you believe Haight earned his call-up and this opportunity to play, he is here and if the fourth line is going to get caved in every game, it’s hard to justify Haight watching it happen instead of getting those minutes himself to grow.

The Wild have nothing to lose by putting him in but everything to learn. The results below him aren’t changing, but at least he could learn something by being out there.

All data from Money Puck.com.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Recent Minnesota Wild Stories

Evaluating The Fit: Should The Minnesota Wild Target Kiefer Sherwood?The Minnesota Wild's turnaround sparks trade talks. Could gritty winger Kiefer Sherwood's physical game and scoring touch solidify their revamped middle-six?

- A Historic Start: Wild's Jesper Wallstedt Joins Nearly Century-Old Company With Record Rookie Surge.

- 'That One's Not Going Anywhere': Inside Jesper Wallstedt's Signature Win Celebration.

- Minnesota Wild Get Marco Rossi Injury Update, Timeline For Return.

- Kirill Kaprizov Becomes Fastest Player In Wild History To 200 Goals.

- Wild Will Commit To A Goalie Rotation Between Gustavsson and Wallstedt.

The New Jersey Devils face the Vegas Golden Knights tonight, marking a reunion for winger Paul Cotter. Cotter was traded to the Devils in June 2024 from the Golden Knights. His fit with the Devils and the impact of the trade on both teams merit analysis.

On June 29, 2024, Cotter and a 2025 third-round pick moved from Vegas to New Jersey in exchange for Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid.

Cotter was drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Golden Knights.

He played three seasons with the team, recording 138 games, 22 goals, and 23 assists.

With the Devils, Cotter has played 106 games, totaling 18 goals and 10 assists.

Last season, Cotter blended in well with the Devils team. He scored a career-high 16 goals and recorded 22 points in 79 games. He also threw a career-high 245 hits, which is now a Devils franchise record.

This season, Cotter struggled early on, but so has the entire Devils lineup. The team has lost three straight games, and according to head coach Sheldon Keefe, they “were essentially lifeless” in Wednesday’s loss.

For the Golden Knights, Holtz hasn’t panned out the way the team had hoped. This season, in eight games, he has recorded zero points. Last season in 53 games, he recorded 12 points–not quite what the Golden Knights were expecting from the 23-year-old left winger.

Schmid, on the other hand, has performed well this season. Although he played only 5 games last season, he has already started 15 this season.

The goaltender has a .896 save percentage and a 9-2 record.

Entering tonight's matchup, the Golden Knights are 12-6-8 with 32 points. The Devils are 16-10-1 with 33 points. Both teams are closely matched in points. 

The trade benefited both sides, as Cotter has found a fit with the Devils and Schmid with the Golden Knights. 

The puck will drop at 7 PM tonight as both teams look to add another win to their record. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

As the Detroit Red Wings celebrate their centennial campaign, few figures can say they’ve both played for the franchise and spent decades behind the microphone.

The beloved Mickey Redmond, the first 50-goal scorer in Red Wings history, fits that bill, as he's been a longtime mainstay on Red Wings television broadcasts since 1986. 

Soon after Redmond’s playing days ended in 1976, a new face with ties to another Original Six franchise, the Montreal Canadiens, joined the Red Wings. And like Redmond, he's become synonymous with Detroit hockey broadcasts. 

Forward Paul Woods, who was originally selected by Montreal in the third round (51st overall) of the 1975 NHL Draft, never appeared in a game for the Canadiens and instead won two Calder Cup championships with their American Hockey League affiliate, the Nova Scotia Voyageurs.

However, it wasn't long before he would be exposed in the 1977 NHL Waiver Draft and then subsequently scooped up by the Red Wings, where he would spend his entire NHL playing career before eventually transitioning into the field of broadcasting.

Woods admitted that he was frustrated that his career didn't seem to be gaining much traction with the Canadiens, but that when he received the news of getting a chance with the Red Wings, he initially believed it to be a prank pulled by one of his teammates.  

"I was in Montreal and it was my third training camp there," he said. "I was frustrated that I got sent down, and then a phone call came to me on a pay phone, just showing how much times have changed since then. It was someone from the Red Wings organization, and they asked, 'If we took you today in the Waiver Draft, will you come?' 

"I thought it was a prank, but I said, 'Yeah sure, I'll come.' I thought it was one of my teammates that were just fooling around, trying to get me going."

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

However, he soon received the confirmation that sent him into full on elation - so much that he needed to pull his car over. 

"It came on the radio that I got picked by Detroit in the Waiver Draft," he said. "I stopped the car and got out, and just started dancing around the car, I was that excited." 

Woods spent seven full seasons with the Red Wings and became the youngest captain in franchise history at the time, a mark later surpassed by 21-year-old Steve Yzerman in 1986, a role he would hold for 19 seasons. 

Woods is one of 37 players in the Red Wings’ century-long history to wear the captain’s “C,” a distinction he’s proud of, though he emphasizes that team success depends on everyone.

"It takes the entire team," he said. "I guess captains are a sign of respect. The coaches decide that, it's just who they picked to do it. I was involved in a lot of things, but it's something to be proud of for sure." 

Upon Woods' entrance into the NHL in 1977, the Red Wings' time at historic Olympia Stadium, which they had called home since 1927, was winding down.

As the surrounding neighborhood declined and crime increased, the Red Wings planned to build a new arena in the suburb of Pontiac before a counteroffer from the City of Detroit led to the hasty construction of Joe Louis Arena on the riverfront.

"It was a great building, it wasn't that big, and it went straight up almost," Woods said of Olympia Stadium. "The crowd was always right on top of you, it was a very intense building. The ice was outstanding, it was great." 

When the Red Wings moved from Olympia Stadium in December 1979, their new home wasn’t yet fully completed. Although it would go on to host countless nostalgic moments for new generations of fans, it took time for the arena to develop the signature charm that players and supporters eventually came to love.

Woods admitted he wasn’t fully on board with the move to Joe Louis Arena at the time, but he eventually grew to appreciate it like so many others.

"Back in those days, I didn't understand much about economics," he said. "Not that I'm some great scholar of it now, but the point was for me, I didn't think it made sense to be leaving such a great place to go to Joe Louis, which wasn't even completely finished that that point." 

"It didn't seem like a good move at the time, but then it did turn out to be good because Joe Louis got its own identity," he said. "And with the championships and the teams we had, it became a great place to play in, too.

But I did love Olympia and the history of it. With (Gordie) Howe, (Alex) Delvecchio, Ted Lindsay, Bill Gadsby, all the different great players who played there, it meant something to me." 

Woods played one final season with the AHL’s Adirondack Red Wings in 1984–85 before transitioning into broadcasting, an career move that he never saw coming. 

"I'd be the last person who would probably have ever gotten involved in that, but when I was done playing, they gave me a call and asked if I'd be interested in trying it. My plan was to do it for one year, just to say that I did it. 

But then I started to understand it a a little bit better over time, and there was way more to it than I thought." 

Like any good student of the game, there is plenty of preparation that goes into the work behind the scenes for any given broadcast. 

"For me, it's like preparing like back in my school days," Woods explained. "Just like preparing for a test - if you don't do it, you've got that bad feeling when you get there. So I like to keep myself prepared, going over the information of the previous night in the NHL, what's happening and what's going on, and just looking at the different teams  and try to come up with a few interesting points. 

Woods holds the distinction of being the current longest-serving radio color commentator in Detroit sports history. He initially worked alongside longtime Red Wings commentator Bruce Martyn until his retirement in 1995.

From that point on, Woods has been shoulder to shoulder with Ken Kal, a partnership that has lasted over 30 years. 

"Just like the Bruce Martyn, they have great calls and it's exciting," Woods said of working with Kal. "You get dragged into the action when you have that excitement, and you're enjoying just litending to it as you're waiting for your moment to say something that's noteworthy." 

"He's a great broadcaster, and so was Bruce. I've been very fortunate to have (worked with) two guys like that." 

Woods has been behind the microphone as color commentator for four Red Wings Stanley Cup victories, along with another two appearances in the Stanley Cup Final in 1995 and 2009 that would fall short. 

The collective euphoria of the 1997 Stanley Cup win, the first by the Red Wings in 42 years, was shared not only throughout the city but at all levels of the Red Wings organization. 

"It's not an easy thing to do, there are so many teams in the NHL that have never won the Cup," Woods said of the 1997 win. "It was a great, great moment and something you never forget...it took us a long time to get to that point when we were winning the Stanley Cup with so many lean years before we got there."

"It means a little bit more too, I think, when you're an Original Six team." 

Like the players traditionally do, Woods got his own day with the Stanley Cup, a special privilege that was arranged by the team. 

"The Red Wings worked it out so that even the broadcasters could have it for a day," Woods said. "I was coaching my son's team, I had the Stanley Cup in the dressing room there; it affects so many people in different ways." 

While his NHL career lasted just over 500 games, Woods has now worked over 3,000 Red Wings games as a commentator, and says coming to the rink never gets old.

"I've enjoyed every minute of it," he said. "Had someone told me when I was a kid that as I got older in life that they'd be paying me to watch hockey and talk about it, I'd take that deal all day long." 

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.