Empty-Net Lab · New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils Goalie Pull Tracker
When the Devils pull the goalie down one and down two, how that compares with the rest of the league and with past coaches, what happens while the net is empty at both ends, and who is on the ice for it.
When the Devils pull the goalie, 2025-26
Share of late deficits with the goalie pulled, by time left in the 3rd period
When the Devils pull the goalie, 2025-26. NJD down 1: half pulled by 2:08 remaining, 65% pulled with 2:00 left (31 trailing spells); NJD down 2: half pulled by 3:34 remaining, 100% pulled with 2:00 left (24 trailing spells); NHL down 1: half pulled by 2:00 remaining, 51% pulled with 2:00 left (831 trailing spells).
Devils goalie pulls by coach
| Coach | Seasons | Median pull, down 1 | Pulled by 2:00 | Median pull, down 2 | Tied it, down 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheldon Keefe | 2024-25 to 2026-27 | 2:04 (64) | 54% | 3:32 (51) | 5 / 36 |
| Lindy Ruff | 2020-21 to 2023-24 | 2:05 (96) | 56% | 2:47 (97) | 9 / 66 |
| Travis Green(small sample) | 2023-24 | 1:43 (8) | 14% | 3:09 (11) | 0 / 8 |
| Alain Nasreddine(small sample) | 2019-20 | 1:15 (8) | 0% | 2:30 (15) | 1 / 3 |
| John Hynes | 2017-18 to 2019-20 | 1:33 (58) | 27% | 2:12 (50) | 6 / 36 |
Regular season since 2017-18, every club of the franchise. In brackets: late deficits behind the median; coaches with fewer than 10 are a small sample.
Devils season by season
| Season | Median pull, down 1 | Median pull, down 2 | 6v5 time | GF pulled | ENG against | ENG for | GA vs extra attacker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | – (0) | – (0) | 0:00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | 2:08 (31) | 3:34 (24) | 49:27 | 8 | 15 | 18 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | 1:52 (33) | 2:42 (27) | 45:53 | 7 | 15 | 11 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | 2:06 (25) | 2:59 (33) | 54:38 | 7 | 27 | 14 | 6 |
| 2022-23 | 2:10 (25) | 3:24 (19) | 40:47 | 7 | 11 | 19 | 4 |
| 2021-22 | 2:05 (33) | 2:33 (31) | 57:53 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 8 |
| 2020-21 | 1:47 (21) | 2:40 (25) | 39:50 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 5 |
| 2019-20 | 1:35 (14) | 2:30 (20) | 21:37 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 1:33 (28) | 2:33 (24) | 39:20 | 5 | 17 | 10 | 6 |
| 2017-18 | 1:31 (24) | 1:46 (21) | 23:29 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 6 |
Who is on the ice for the Devils, 2025-26
Extra attacker (6-on-5)
- Jesper Bratt43:38 · 88%
- Nico Hischier40:25 · 82%
- Timo Meier39:46 · 84%
- Jack Hughes33:57 · 95%
- Dawson Mercer26:04 · 53%
- Luke Hughes20:56 · 57%
- Dougie Hamilton19:53 · 44%
- Arseny Gritsyuk18:45 · 44%
Empty-net defense
- Jonas Siegenthaler30:00 · 59%
- Nico Hischier27:16 · 54%
- Dawson Mercer25:24 · 50%
- Dougie Hamilton25:19 · 50%
- Connor Brown21:08 · 44%
- Brenden Dillon19:35 · 39%
- Timo Meier19:14 · 41%
- Brett Pesce14:28 · 55%
Empty-net goals
- Dawson Mercer6 G, 0 A
- Connor Brown3 G, 4 A
- Jack Hughes3 G, 3 A
- Timo Meier2 G, 0 A
- Nico Hischier1 G, 6 A
- Jesper Bratt1 G, 4 A
- Dougie Hamilton1 G, 2 A
- Simon Nemec1 G, 0 A
% = share of the team's time in that situation in the games the player dressed. Empty-net defense time is where empty-net goals come from.
Recent Devils goalie pulls
| Date | Opponent | Down | Pulled with | Time pulled | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 9 | PIT | 2 | 3:45 | 0:45 | Empty-net goal against |
| Apr 7 | PHI | 3+ | 4:56 | 1:56 | Empty-net goal against |
| Apr 4 | MTL | 1 | 2:22 | 0:07 | Scored |
| Mar 28 | CAR | 3+ | 4:08 | 1:48 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 20 | WSH | 1 | 2:04 | 0:21 | Empty-net goal against |
| Mar 20 | WSH | 2 | 1:35 | 0:52 | Scored |
| Mar 20 | WSH | 1 | 0:26 | 0:26 | No goal |
| Mar 12 | CGY | 2 | 3:23 | 3:19 | Scored |
| Mar 12 | CGY | 1 | 0:04 | 0:04 | No goal |
| Feb 26 | PIT | 2 | 3:52 | 1:08 | Empty-net goal against |
| Feb 25 | BUF | 2 | 3:34 | 1:04 | Scored |
| Feb 25 | BUF | 1 | 2:12 | 2:12 | No goal |
FAQ
When do the Devils pull their goalie?
In 2025-26 under Sheldon Keefe, the New Jersey Devils had pulled their goalie in half of their late one-goal deficits with 2:08 left in the 3rd period, and in 65% with 2:00 or more left (31 games trailing by one in the last 10 minutes).
How many empty-net goals have the Devils allowed?
With their goalie pulled in 2025-26, the New Jersey Devils scored 8 and allowed 15 empty-net goals in 49:27 of 6-on-5 time. Defending an empty net, they scored 18 empty-net goals and allowed 4 goals to the extra attacker.
How is goalie pull time measured?
From the NHL shift charts: the first moment in a deficit when the team had no goalie on the ice, excluding delayed penalties. The curve counts every late deficit, including ones erased before a pull, so it is not biased toward long deficits.