Luke Hughes Booed After Two Own Goals As Devils Lose 3-1 To Hurricanes

On Sunday night, January 5, 2026, at the Prudential Center in Newark, the New Jersey Devils lost 3–1 to the Carolina Hurricanes in a Metropolitan Division matchup that quickly turned tense. The game featured two own goals by Devils defenseman Luke Hughes, audible boos from the home crowd, and standings consequences that immediately carried over into betting markets ahead of New Jersey’s next game.

The night began poorly for Hughes just minutes into the first period. While attempting to clear the puck from the blue paint in front of goaltender Jake Allen, Hughes redirected it into his own net, giving Carolina an early lead. The Devils responded when Dawson Mercer scored to tie the game at one, briefly stabilizing play. In the second period, Hughes mishandled the puck directly in front of his own net, leading to a forced turnover and another Hurricanes goal. Carolina closed out the game 3–1.

Following the second mistake, fans at the Prudential Center booed Hughes loudly each time he touched the puck. The reaction continued through the remainder of the game as New Jersey failed to recover.

The loss prevented the Devils from moving within three points of the Hurricanes. Instead, New Jersey now sits seven points behind Carolina at the top of the Metropolitan Division. The Devils also struggled on special teams, finishing the game 0-for-6 on the power play, including approximately 90 seconds of 6-on-4 play late in regulation.

The result immediately influenced how the Devils were viewed heading into their next game. Early betting lines listed the Devils as a small road favorite. Opening numbers showed New Jersey around -125 on the moneyline with the Islanders at +105. FanDuel later posted the Devils at -120 and the Islanders at +100. The total for the game was set at 5.5 goals across sportsbooks.

Despite the Devils being listed as the favorite, FanDuel Research projections gave the Islanders a 62.5 percent chance to win the game. The difference between market odds and model projections drew attention to New Jersey’s inconsistency following the loss to Carolina.

Injury information also factored into betting evaluations. For the Devils, Evgenii Dadonov was listed on injured reserve with an estimated return date of January 25. The Islanders’ injury report included Bo Horvat listed as out with an estimated return of January 13, Matthew Schaefer listed as day-to-day with a projected return on January 6, and Kyle Palmieri on injured reserve with an estimated return date of September 15. Horvat entered the matchup as the Islanders’ leading scorer with 33 points, matching Jesper Bratt’s 33 points for New Jersey.

Futures markets showed movement following New Jersey’s recent results. A BetMGM update dated January 5 listed the Devils at +3000 to win the Stanley Cup, compared to earlier opening odds of +1800. Metropolitan Division futures listed Carolina as the favorite at -190, with New Jersey at +1200.

After the game, Hughes addressed the media and took responsibility for his performance. “It is what it is. It’s part of sports. Obviously, I made a couple of mistakes tonight and I got to be better. It is what it is,” Hughes said, adding that his teammates played well enough to win.

“I made a couple of mistakes tonight, and I have to be better.”

Luke Hughes speaks to the media following tonight’s game. pic.twitter.com/6Ce8JZULCp

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) January 5, 2026

Jake Allen defended Hughes, saying, “I’ve had fans boo me, which, listen, I don’t think (Luke Hughes) deserved. He’s a kid who made two mistakes in a hockey game. Whoever doesn’t make mistakes, I’d love to meet them… I just want to pat him on the back and get back to it on Tuesday here.”

Head coach Sheldon Keefe addressed the fan reaction and Hughes’ performance in his postgame press conference. He said he did not want any player to experience that type of response from the crowd and described Hughes as “a young player having a tough couple of plays.” Keefe said benching Hughes was not considered, calling the mistakes “innocent,” and added that benching a player in that situation could take “weeks” for them to regain form. He also referenced a recent game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in which Hughes scored a late third-period goal.

Hughes, drafted fourth overall in 2021, is in the first year of a seven-year, $63 million contract with a $9 million cap hit. Last season, he recorded 44 points in 71 games. The Devils made four players available to the media after the game instead of their usual three, and captain Nico Hischier offered visible support for Hughes.