Hellebuyck earns first Devils shutout, 4-0 over Leafs

TORONTO – Connor Hellebuyck stopped all 23 shots he faced for his first shutout as a member of the New Jersey Devils, who beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday night, The Canadian Press reported.

Timo Meier scored twice for New Jersey, now 13-5-0. Nico Hischier added a power-play goal and an assist, and Connor Brown sealed it into an empty net. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each had two assists.

Hellebuyck, acquired from the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 23, became the first goaltender in Devils history to win his first five games with the club, the Canadian Press said. We reported earlier on his shootout win over the Edmonton Oilers and on his letter to Jets fans explaining his decision to leave Winnipeg.

Anthony Stolarz made 25 saves for Toronto, which fell to 8-9-2. The Leafs have lost three in a row and five of their past six in regulation.

Meier broke the scoreless tie at 8:28 of the second period, circling from the boards into the slot and one-timing a shot after a faceoff. He made it 2-0 at 12:44 when a Hughes shot deflected off him and past Stolarz. Hischier scored on the power play at 9:49 of the third, and Brown iced the game into the empty net.

Hischier’s assist on Meier’s first goal gave him 500 career NHL points. He is the third Swiss-born player to reach that mark, behind Roman Josi (799) and Kevin Fiala (528), according to the Canadian Press.

Toronto played without defencemen Morgan Rielly, out with a lower-body injury, and Chris Tanev, who was given the night off for maintenance. Forward Jack Roslovic was a late scratch with a lower-body injury even after warm-ups, and Colton Sissons did not return after the second period with the same designation.

The Hockey Hall of Fame’s class of 2026 was honoured on the ice before puck drop: Carey Price, Patrice Bergeron, Pekka Rinne, Keith Tkachuk and Cindy Curley as players, and Brian Burke as a builder. The group was inducted Monday.

The Devils visit the Jets on Tuesday, when Hellebuyck returns to Winnipeg. New Jersey has announced he will not play in that game, the Canadian Press reported. The Leafs host the Colorado Avalanche the same night. See where both teams sit in our latest NHL power rankings.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.