Jack Hughes came through when the New Jersey Devils needed him most after they lost their third-period lead.
Kyle Palmieri tied the game late in the third period, and both Nikita Gusev and Hughes scored in the shootout to secure a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Monday night.
Hughes, who sealed the win in the second round of the shootout, had also scored the overtime winner in their previous matchup in Ottawa on Dec. 29.
“It was exciting to help the team win,” Hughes said. “That’s a good comeback win for us. And not just take one point but take (two). … It was important for us to come back and get that win.”
Damon Severson and Kevin Rooney also scored for the Devils, who ended a three-game losing streak. Mackenzie Blackwood, making his first start since Jan. 9, made 35 saves.
“I thought, in general, it was a really good effort,” said Devils interim coach Alain Nasreddine. “Obviously, that’s not exactly how we drew it up at the end, but we’ve talked about resiliency for a while now. At 3-2, it wasn’t a good way to go down, but the guys found a way and tied it up and found a way to get two points in the end. It was a great effort.”
Tyler Ennis, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Chris Tierney scored for Ottawa. Marcus Hogberg made 50 saves through overtime but was beaten twice in the shootout.
The Senators, trailing 2-1 in the third period, scored two short-handed goals within 35 seconds to take the lead. Namestnikov tied it 2-2 with a quick wrist shot at 9:06, and Tierney gave Ottawa its first lead.
“When we took the lead, we had a lot of momentum, especially with two short-handed goals,” Tierney said. “It’s tough to give up one late there, but you’ve got to find a way to get the extra point sometimes.”
Palmieri leveled the score with 3:21 remaining in regulation. Jesper Bratt found a loose puck in the crease and passed it to Palmieri, who quickly put it past Hogberg.
“I can do better on the third goal,” Hogberg said. “I wish I could have held on to the puck on the third one, but we battled hard out there and I like how we played.”
The Devils had the better chances in overtime, but Hogberg stopped all four shots.
Despite his strong performances, Ottawa’s rookie goaltender has only two wins to show for it.
“It’s tough because it seems so many times he stands on his head, and we can’t get him that extra point,” Tierney said. “It feels like he’s giving us a chance to win every night and we’re just not picking up a couple extra points. Hopefully, he can keep playing that way, and we can find ways to win.”
The game was intense initially, with Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk and New Jersey’s P.K. Subban clashing early. The two dropped the gloves in the second period and continued to exchange words in the penalty box.
With a power-play goal, New Jersey struck first at 8:23 of the opening period. Severson’s point shot hit the post, deflected off Hogberg’s skate, and crossed the goal line.
Ottawa tied it up with 1:18 left in the first period when Tkachuk redirected a point shot to Ennis, who beat Blackwood with a quick shot.
“We worked in spurts,” said Senators coach D.J. Smith. “I don’t think we had enough guys play their best game.”
Rooney’s wraparound goal at 4:28 of the second period gave New Jersey a 2-1 lead.
Game Notes:
- Ottawa’s Mark Borowiecki was scared in the third period when Blake Coleman’s stick caught him just below the eye. He quickly left the ice but returned shortly after.
- Both teams were playing their first game in nine days following the bye week and All-Star break.
- Ottawa F Jean-Gabriel Pageau returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with a sore neck before the break.
- Connor Carrick was a healthy scratch for the Devils.
- There was a moment of silence in honor of Kobe Bryant and the other victims of the helicopter crash on Sunday.
UP NEXT:
- Devils: Host Nashville on Thursday night to start a three-game homestand.
- Senators: Travel to Buffalo on Tuesday night.
