Olympic hero Jack Hughes and Connor Brown each collected one goal and two assists, fueling the visiting New Jersey Devils to a 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Wednesday.
Hughes has tormented the Rangers in both encounters this season. He recorded his fourth career hat trick and added an assist in New Jersey’s 6-3 victory over New York on March 7.
Captain Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt each scored and set up a goal on Wednesday for the Devils (35-31-2, 72 points), who have won seven of their last nine games.
Arseny Gritsyuk and Timo Meier also tallied and Jacob Markstrom made 15 saves for New Jersey.
New York’s Mika Zibanejad scored his team-leading 28th goal of the season and Conor Sheary and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov also tallied.
Jonathan Quick turned aside 33 shots for the Rangers (28-32-8, 64 points), who have lost two straight following a season-high four-game winning streak.
Hughes used a toe-drag to create a bit of space deep in the right circle before feeding Brown, who scored from the slot on a power play to give New Jersey a 3-2 lead at 11:36 of the second period.
Meier and Sheary each converted just over three minutes apart in the third before Hughes wired a shot from the outer edge of the left circle to extend the Devils’ lead to 5-3.
New Jersey enjoyed a 17-2 advantage in shots on goal during the first period but only had a 2-1 lead to show for it.
Gavrikov’s wrist shot from the point sailed through traffic and eluded Markstrom to open the scoring with 4:40 remaining in the first period.
New Jersey forged a tie just 54 seconds later on a power play after Brown’s shot-pass from the left circle caromed off the stick of Brown and into the air. Hischier, who was unmarked at the right doorstep, alertly batted the puck into the net for his team-leading 24th goal of the season and third in his last three games.
Gritsyuk gave the Devils a 2-1 lead just over three minutes later after unleashing a shot off a rush that beat Quick.
New Jersey defenseman Dougie Hamilton turned over the puck, leading to Zibanejad wiring a shot that caromed off the glove of Markstrom and into the net just 19 seconds into the second period.
