Jack Hughes tallied a goal and an assist, Mackenzie Blackwood made 25 saves, and the New Jersey Devils secured a playoff spot with a 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
“It means everything to the group. I went into the dressing room after the game and just said that I was proud of the work that was put in, proud of where we got to clinch tonight to be one of three teams that have an X next to their name,” said Devils coach Lindy Ruff. “All the work that’s been put in, the adversity they face during the year. The adversity they faced right at the start of the season to where we’ve got to now.”
New Jersey clinched its first postseason berth since 2018 before the first intermission, thanks to the Florida Panthers’ loss to the New York Rangers in regulation.
“I had a lesser role then,” said Jesper Bratt, a rookie for the Devils in 2017-18. “You think it might happen every year just because it happened your first year. Then you quickly realize that’s not the case, and you’ve got to work extremely hard for it. It’s an adamant league. So this feels really good. It’s been a lot of years with struggle, not winning, and it’s just awesome coming out now playing these kinds of games and getting that.”
Bratt, Dawson Mercer, and Dougie Hamilton also scored for the Devils, while Tomas Tatar added an empty-net goal with 42.3 seconds remaining to secure the win.
Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, and Mark Kastelic scored for the Senators, and Dylan Ferguson made 30 saves.
Tkachuk opened the scoring with his 33rd goal of the season just 3:14 into the first period. The Devils responded midway through the first period with Hughes’ 40th goal of the season on a breakaway, tying the game.
Nick Holden’s giveaway led to Bratt’s 31st goal of the season on a breakaway 2:24 into the second period, giving New Jersey a 2-1 lead. Mercer’s 23rd goal of the season followed just over a minute later.
The Senators closed the gap midway through the second period when Chabot scored his 11th goal of the year, making it 3-2. Kastelic tied the game 16:03 into the second with his fifth-season goal.
“We were confident going into the third period. We felt like the game was there for our taking,” said Travis Hamonic. “They score on their chance, and that’s game.”
Hamilton scored 3:34 into the third period to put the Devils ahead. His 19th goal of the season set a new franchise record for goals in a season by a defenseman, surpassing Scott Stevens’ record of 18 set in 1993-94.
Game Notes:
- This was the first game for Devils’ backup goalie Blackwood since Feb. 19.
- Nico Hischier extended his point streak to six games with two assists.
UP NEXT:
- Senators: Host the Florida Panthers on Monday night.
- Devils: Play at New York Islanders on Monday night.
