Jack Hughes continued his stellar start to the season, scoring two dazzling goals as the New Jersey Devils earned their fourth straight win with a 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.
Goaltender Jake Allen turned aside 27 of 30 shots in the victory, while Jesper Bratt, Connor Brown, and Dawson Mercer also found the back of the net for New Jersey. The win marks the Devils’ first four-game winning streak since January 2023 — two coaching changes ago, when Lindy Ruff was still at the helm.
Hughes delivered a pair of highlight-reel moments, weaving through three Edmonton defenders to score his first goal eight minutes into the second period, then striking again with a slick deke and finish past Calvin Pickard late in the frame.
Jesper Bratt added a power-play goal off a clean faceoff win, impressing Sweden’s Olympic coach Sam Hallam, who was in attendance scouting potential players ahead of the year-end roster deadline. Bratt, a four-time 20-goal scorer coming off an 88-point season, is considered a strong candidate for Team Sweden’s roster.
Former Oiler Connor Brown capitalized on a turnover by Evan Bouchard to score shorthanded, marking his third goal in five games since joining the Devils in free agency.
The Devils got off to a slow start, going more than 11 minutes without a shot, but Allen’s steady play kept them in the game, highlighted by key power-play saves against Leon Draisaitl and Bouchard.
For Edmonton, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice, and ex-Devil Curtis Lazar added a late goal with just 1.7 seconds remaining after Mercer sealed the win with an empty-netter.
Up Next:
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Oilers: Visit the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.
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Devils: Travel to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.
