Jesper Bratt had a stellar performance with a goal and three assists, propelling the New Jersey Devils to a 6-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Friday night. This victory marked the Devils’ third consecutive win.
Hughes Brothers Shine
The Hughes brothers, Luke and Jack, contributed significantly, each tallying a goal and two assists. Dawson Mercer, Tyler Toffoli, and Brendan Smith also found the back of the net for the Devils. In his season debut for New Jersey, Nico Daws made 25 saves.
“That was a lot of fun. I was pretty nervous in the first period and getting the first couple of shots, but after that, I settled in,” Daws said. “Everybody played fantastically, and that was a full 60-minute effort. Everybody played really well.”
Senators Struggle
Drake Batherson and Jacob Bernard-Docker scored for the Senators, who had been on a two-game winning streak. Joonas Korpisalo made 24 saves for Ottawa.
“Obviously not the result we wanted,” Bernard-Docker said. “From the start, we lost a lot of battles tonight, myself included. I wasn’t at my best tonight, but we trust in this group, and we’re learning the hard way right now.”
Game Highlights
New Jersey entered the final period with a 4-1 lead. After successfully killing a penalty, Nico Hischier connected with Brendan Smith, who had just left the penalty box. Smith capitalized on the breakaway opportunity to score his first goal with the Devils.
With under seven minutes remaining, Bernard-Docker’s point shot deflected off a Devils player and found its way past Daws, marking his third goal of the season. Luke Hughes sealed the win with his sixth goal, making it 6-2 with 2:32 left.
“This was a huge game for us. We really needed these two points,” Bratt said. “It was a full team effort and obviously Nico played great in net and helped us get this win.”
Early Scoring
The Senators initially took the lead midway through the first period. Brady Tkachuk intercepted a clearing attempt and assisted Batherson, who scored. New Jersey responded with two power-play goals: Jack Hughes at 13:10 and Bratt with just eight seconds left in the period.
“That’s a really good top six over there, and if you give them time and space, they’re going to score, and that’s what happened,” Batherson said. “You get a lead in the first period at home and take a penalty and they tie it up and then we took a few more. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the way it goes.”
Second Period Dominance
The Devils extended their lead in the second period with goals from Mercer at 7:17 and Toffoli at 14:47. Despite the Senators’ efforts, they went 0 for 4 on the power play, while the Devils capitalized on 2 of their 4 opportunities.
Upcoming Games
- Devils: Travel to face the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.
- Senators: Host the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night.
