Paul Cotter and Jesper Bratt both scored in the shootout, lifting the New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Monday night. This was their third win in four games.
Luke Hughes and Nico Hischier scored during regulation for New Jersey, while Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves in the win. The Devils also topped the Wild on Saturday with a 5-2 victory in Minnesota.
Vinnie Hinostroza and Matt Boldy tallied goals for the Wild, who have now dropped four of their last five games. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson finished with 26 saves.
In the shootout, Cotter and Bratt converted New Jersey’s first two attempts. Boldy had the Wild’s best chance but rang his shot off the crossbar, sealing the win for the Devils.
Hughes opened the scoring with 7:30 left in the first period, netting his seventh of the season. Hinostroza tied it early in the third with his fifth before Hischier restored the Devils’ lead with his team-best 34th goal at 9:12. Boldy forced overtime with his 25th goal, scored with just over two minutes left in regulation.
Game Takeaways
Devils: New Jersey closed out March with a .500 record (8-8-0) and hit the 40-win mark for the second time in three years. They remain in sa olid position in third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Wild: Minnesota continues to struggle on the road, dropping five of its last six away games despite holding a strong 22-11-4 road record overall.
Key Moment
Markstrom came up big in overtime with a critical save on a close-range chance from Jared Spurgeon, preserving the tie and sending the game to a shootout.
Key Stat
The Devils improved to 18-13-5 at Prudential Center, and five of their final six games will be played on home ice.
Up next
Minnesota visits the New York Rangers on Wednesday. New Jersey hosts the Rangers on Saturday to continue their playoff push.
