Jack Hughes scored twice and was one of four Devils to find the net in a seven-round shootout as New Jersey overcame blowing a two-goal lead to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Sunday night.
Jesper Bratt, Dougie Hamilton, and Yegor Sharangovich also converted in the shootout, with Sharangovich netting the decisive fourth goal.
Hughes expressed that the game should not have reached overtime, citing Rem Pitlick’s game-tying goal in the final minute of regulation.
“Just take the two points,” Hughes said of the shootout win. “You’ve got to win in different ways, and that was a good win tonight. Not ideal to let them come from behind, but they had all the momentum heading into OT, so for us to come out and win, that’s a big win for us.”
Nico Daws stopped Paul Byron on Montreal’s last attempt to win the shootout. Cole Caufield, Pitlick, and Mike Hoffman scored in the extended shootout for the Canadiens.
Canadiens interim head coach Martin St. Louis chose to focus on the team’s resilience rather than the loss.
“I felt like we got better as the game went on, tied it up late,” he said. “It’s our third game in four nights, so I’m happy with how the guys fought, clawed back, and almost won it.”
In the five-minute overtime, Bratt and Nico Hischier hit the goalposts for New Jersey, and Anderson’s shot deflected off both posts. A review confirmed that it did not cross the goal line.
Devils coach Lindy Ruff described overtime as a rollercoaster, with moments when he thought his team won and moments when it lost the game.
“I thought we generated opportunities during the game,” Ruff said. “I thought their goaltender was real good, but I thought our goaltender was real good. So it was nice to see the guys get rewarded with a win.”
Daws made 31 saves as the Devils extended their unbeaten streak against the Canadiens to 9-0-2 since the 2017-18 season.
The Canadiens tied the game at 2-2 on Pitlick’s 13th goal of the season, which came with the net empty and 42 seconds left in regulation.
Josh Anderson also scored for Montreal, and Sam Montembeault made 30 saves.
Hughes gave the Devils a 2-0 lead with one goal resulting from a Montembeault error and another from a power play.
The Canadiens’ goaltender mishandled the puck, setting up Hughes’ first goal. Hughes intercepted the pass and scored from the right circle with 46 seconds left in the first period.
Montembeault explained that his team was changing shifts when he got the puck, and he didn’t want to risk a penalty for having too many men on the ice.
“I tried to go on my backhand, but I was not even close,” he admitted.
Hughes scored the 24th of the season from the same circle at 14:14 of the second period, extending Bratt’s point streak to a career-high seven games (two goals, eight assists).
Anderson pulled Montreal within one just over three minutes later, tipping a Jesse Ylonen shot past Daws right after the Canadiens’ two-man advantage expired.
Game notes
- Devils forward Andreas Johnsson was scratched due to illness.
- Defenseman Justin Barron debuted for the Canadiens after being acquired from Colorado in a trade for Artturi Lehkonen.
- Canadiens defenseman Joel Edmundson played in his 400th NHL game.
WOODY BACK
Devils forward Miles Wood played for the first time this season, having missed the first 65 games due to hip surgery in November. He scored 17 goals in 55 games last season.
MILITARY APPRECIATION
Devils players wore military-inspired warmup jerseys before the game. These were auctioned off to benefit Operation Gratitude, a nonprofit that supports military personnel, veterans, and first responders.
UP NEXT
- Canadiens: At Florida on Tuesday in the second game of a four-game road trip.
- Devils: At Boston on Thursday.
