{
  "id": 14442886,
  "title": "“1-0 Them” Is a Real Problem That The Devils Need to Address",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/1-0-them-is-a-real-problem-that-the-devils-need-to-address",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-14T12:05:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/1-0-them-real-problem-120500074.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The New Jersey Devils have been struggling to lead their games, as they regularly concede the first goal of the match. This pattern has persisted throughout the season, with the Devils only scoring first once in the last two-plus seasons. In Sheldon Keefe's era, the Devils have surrendered the first goal in 56% (95 out of 169) of their regular season games. If the Devils had scored first just 66 times in the same period, they would have had the second-best odds for the NHL draft lottery. However, their current performance is far from ideal, as they have a points percentage of .783 when they score first, but have struggled to capitalize on that lead. The Devils' inability to finish their scoring chances and their disorganization during power play situations have contributed to this issue. Despite these challenges, the Devils have managed to kill all penalties in the first period of a recent game, only to concede the first goal just nine seconds into the second period. This pattern of allowing the other team to score first at home has become a recurring issue for the Devils, and it's preventing them from gaining momentum and producing the desired excitement for their fans.",
  "summary": "The Devils have paid dearly under Sheldon Keefe for their inability to score the first goal of the game",
  "key_points": [
    "Devils concede first goal in 56% of games under Sheldon Keefe",
    "Scoring first yields .783 points percentage, but struggles to capitalize",
    "Recent game saw Devils kill all penalties, yet concede first goal"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}