At 18 years old, Jack Hughes continues proving his value as a difference-maker.
Hughes scored just 54 seconds into overtime, giving the New Jersey Devils a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night.
“If I had to pick a player to score, I’m glad it was him,” said New Jersey interim head coach Alain Nasreddine. “He was the difference maker tonight.”
Kyle Palmieri set up the play with a pass to Hughes near center ice. Hughes broke away with the puck, switched from his backhand to his forehand, and lifted it over Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson for his sixth goal of the season.
“That’s one we needed,” Hughes said. “We’re hungry for points right now. We want to climb the standings. We’re not happy with where we are. That’s a big focus for this team.”
Nico Hischier and Nikita Gusev scored power-play goals for the Devils (13-19-6), while Miles Wood also found the net.
Thomas Chabot, who briefly left the bench after taking a shot off his right hand, tied the game for Ottawa (16-18-5) with a long shot from the point at 15:02 of the third period, forcing overtime.
Chabot acknowledged the game “wasn’t pretty” but was pleased that the Senators managed to earn a point.
“We didn’t play our best, obviously, but getting it to overtime and securing a point was huge,” Chabot said. “It was our first game back after the break, so we knew there’d be some rust.”
Nick Paul and Artem Anisimov also scored for the Senators in the second period.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 21 saves for New Jersey, while Anderson stopped 30 shots for Ottawa.
Senators head coach DJ Smith pointed out that his team needs to handle the puck better but recognized that they were mentally sluggish after not playing since Dec. 23.
“We found a way to get a point,” Smith said. “We didn’t have the puck much tonight and weren’t very smart with it. We didn’t break out well.”
Hischier opened the scoring for the Devils, tipping in a shot by Sami Vatanen from the point at 8:58 of the first period, marking his eighth goal of the season.
The first period was physical, with both teams returning to action after the Christmas break. In the opening 20 minutes, 32 penalty minutes were handed out.
Paul tied the game at 1-1 midway through the second period with a wrist shot that slipped past Blackwood’s blocker, assisted by Anthony Duclair and Cody Goloubef. The assist gave Duclair his team-leading 31st point, while it was Goloubef’s first.
Anisimov put the Senators ahead 2-1 at 13:28 of the second period, tapping the puck out of mid-air and into the net with the help of Blackwood’s skate. It was Anisimov’s seventh goal of the season.
Gusev evened the score at 2-2 with a goal through Anderson’s legs during a two-man advantage.
“You can’t spend the whole game in your zone,” Smith said. “You must break out more, come back, and communicate better. We’re a young team, and it’s a learning process, but we don’t give up.”
Wood gave the Devils a 3-2 lead heading into the final period, scoring after a long pass from Wayne Simmonds set him up on a partial breakaway.
Game Notes:
Scott Sabourin returned for Ottawa after suffering a broken nose and his first recorded concussion on Nov. 2, but had little impact in the game.
UP NEXT:
- Devils: Host the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.
- Senators: Travel to Pittsburgh to face the Penguins on Monday night.
