Dougie Hamilton, Timo Meier, and Jack Hughes each scored power-play goals as the New Jersey Devils capitalized on the Detroit Red Wings’ NHL-worst penalty kill in a thrilling 5-4 win on Friday night.
New Jersey went 3-for-4 with the man advantage, highlighting Detroit’s ongoing struggles. The Red Wings have killed just 60% of penalties this season (39 of 65).
Stefan Noesen and Nico Hischier also scored for the Devils, now winning four of their last five games. Detroit saw goals from Lucas Raymond, Vladimir Tarasenko, Justin Holl, and Tyler Motte, but their two-game winning streak ended.
Jacob Markstrom stopped 25 shots for the Devils, while Cam Talbot made 25 saves in his 500th NHL game for the Red Wings.
Takeaways
Devils: New Jersey excels on the road, winning five of its past six away games. Hischier continued his hot streak with four goals in his last three games, and Hamilton has contributed three goals over the past five games. The Devils also lead the league with 36 second-period goals this season.
Red Wings: Detroit saw rare contributions from Motte and Holl, who both scored their first goals of the season. However, their penalty kill remains a glaring weakness. Patrick Kane and goaltender Alex Lyon were unavailable due to upper-body injuries.
Key Moment
Trailing 2-0 late in the first period, Hamilton’s power-play goal gave the Devils momentum. Detroit’s unsuccessful goalie interference challenge resulted in a bench minor, and Meier promptly tied the game at 2-2 with another power-play goal.
Key Stat
Lucas Raymond extended his goal streak to five games, matching his career-best streak from last season. He’s the only Red Wings player to achieve such a streak in the past 16 years, with Johan Franzen last accomplishing the feat during the 2007-08 season.
Up Next
The Devils return home to host the Washington Capitals on Saturday, while the Red Wings face the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.
