Jack Hughes scored his second night goal 1:53 into overtime to lift the New Jersey Devils past the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Sunday, extending New Jersey’s win streak to eight games — their longest since a 13-game run early in the 2022–23 season.
Jake Allen made 21 saves to remain unbeaten at 5-0-0, continuing his strong play since taking over as a starter following Jacob Markstrom’s injury on Oct. 13. Rookie defenseman Simon Nemec notched three assists, while Connor Brown and Arseny Gritsyuk also scored for the red-hot Devils, who have not lost since their season opener in Carolina.
Hughes’ overtime heroics — his team-leading eighth goal of the season — capped a tightly contested game that saw the Devils squander a late lead before recovering in extra time.
Colorado responded quickly after New Jersey built a 2-0 advantage in the first period on goals by Gritsyuk and Hughes. Valeri Nichushkin scored fifth of the season at 12:55, and Nathan MacKinnon tied it at 17:03 with his seventh, sending the teams to intermission locked at 2-2.
In the second period, Brown restored the Devils’ lead at 12:51, beating backup goaltender Trent Miner on a breakaway for his fifth of the season. Brown, who joined New Jersey as a free agent this summer, has become a key contributor during the team’s early-season surge.
Colorado forced overtime when Brock Nelson scored his second of the year with just over six minutes remaining in regulation. Still, Hughes sealed it in the extra frame with a dazzling shot past Miner, who finished with 20 saves in his first start of the season.
The loss was Colorado’s second in as many nights after falling 3-2 at Boston on Saturday, dropping them to 5-2-3 following a 5-0-3 start.
Up Next:
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Devils: Travel to Denver on Tuesday to complete the home-and-home series and begin a four-game road trip.
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Avalanche: Host New Jersey in the rematch on Tuesday night.
