Nico Hischier and Pavel Zacha scored 10 seconds apart in the third period, propelling the New Jersey Devils to a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
Ty Smith also scored in the third for New Jersey, breaking a five-game losing streak. Fabian Zetterlund contributed two assists, and Nico Daws made 27 saves.
“We needed some good saves, and he made those for us,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said.
Jake Oettinger stopped 20 shots for the Stars, who missed an opportunity to improve their playoff positioning in the Western Conference. Defenseman Ryan Suter scored his 100th career goal 13:31 into the second period.
“That’s cool,” the 17-year veteran said, “but that’s not why I play the game. I don’t play for the points, but it’s about time.”
Hischier emphasized that the team’s key adjustment in the third period was “being a little bit more aggressive on the forecheck.”
Dallas managed only six shots on goal in the final period.
“That wasn’t the game we needed to show up and play,” Suter said. They came at us hard, and we weren’t ready for that.”
Stars coach Rick Bowness was more blunt: “We didn’t look like a team that wanted to make the playoffs. There wasn’t near enough desperation in our game. It’s everybody. They can’t point fingers because it was everybody. We didn’t have one person out there for me that played a good game.”
Smith tied the game at 1 with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle at 4:26, marking his fifth goal of the season.
With 1:11 remaining, Hischier put New Jersey ahead for good. He skated past the goal to the right, then stepped back across to beat Oettinger for his 20th goal of the season.
“I was trying to look for some passing options,” Hischier said, “but in the end, I thought I could bring it to the net. That’s what I did, and luckily, it went in.”
Oettinger accepted the blame for the loss.
“There’s a minute left in the game, and you need your goalie to step up and make big saves, and I wasn’t able to do that.”
Following the faceoff, Zacha skated into the left faceoff circle and sent the puck into the net for his 14th goal of the season.
The Stars had taken the lead on Suter’s seventh goal of the year, ending a 0-for-13 drought on the power play. Suter scored with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle.
“Our 5-on-5 play was terrible today,” Bowness said. “So was the power play. I know they got a goal, but it was a faceoff and a shot that found its way in.”
Dallas had been 3-1-1 in their previous five games.
“If we play like that, we’re going home in three weeks,” Bowness said. “It’s as simple as that.”
WORTH NOTING
Hischier matched his career high of 20 goals from his rookie season in 2017-18. He also has a career-high 34 assists and 54 points.
UP NEXT
- Devils: Continue their five-game Western trip in Arizona on Tuesday.
- Stars: Head to Chicago on Sunday for the second game of a back-to-back.
