The Vegas Golden Knights walked into Newark needing clarity in net, and Akira Schmid delivered it. The matchup carried emotion from the opening puck drop, with the Golden Knights' shut out effort unfolding against the New Jersey Devils team that traded him away. Schmid faced the pressure, the history, and the familiar sightlines inside Prudential Center, and he turned it all into a statement. The Golden Knights pushed to a 3–0 win, and the Devils shut out streak stretched to a frustrating second straight game, and losing streak extended to four. But for Akira Schmid, this one meant something deeper.
A Newark return, a Devils shutout, and a Golden Knights win
The Devils started slowly but controlled most of the final two periods. Their entries were sharper and their forecheck tightened. Moreover, their process looked right. But the bounces never came, and Schmid erased what remained. “Maybe I had a little nerves compared to other games, but once you step into a game, they usually go away pretty quick,” Schmid said. “Obviously, I was excited to be back and see all the people who helped when I was getting started.”
Every Golden Knights stop fed the crowd’s tension. Every whistle felt like a reminder of what the Devils once believed he could become. The Golden Knights trusted his poise. Vegas trusted the moment. And Schmid repaid it with one of the most meaningful performances of his young career.
The 3–0 finish pushed the Devils to 16-11-1 and kept their scoring woes alive. The Golden Knights climbed to 13-6-8 and continued building a steadier rotation in goal, especially with Vegas expected to recall Carter Hart soon. The night also added weight to the original Devils trade that sent Schmid west, a move that now looks sharper with each clean sheet he posts.
If this is the version of Akira Schmid the Golden Knights can count on, how far can Vegas rise when the stakes get heavy?
