Jack Hughes scored his 13th goal of the season as part of a dominant third period, lifting the New Jersey Devils to a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
Dawson Mercer and Timo Meier each tallied a goal and an assist, while Nico Hischier added his 16th goal for New Jersey (7-3-1 in their last 11 games). Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves to improve to 15-6-2 on the season.
Trailing 1-0 after two periods, the Devils turned up the pressure in the third against Chicago rookie goaltender Drew Commesso, who made 20 saves in his NHL debut.
Jason Dickinson gave the Blackhawks a second-period lead when his shot deflected off the crossbar, bounced off Devils defenseman Luke Hughes’ face, and into the net.
New Jersey responded emphatically in the third, scoring four unanswered goals, including three in just 126 seconds.
Mercer tied the game early in the period on a feed from Luke Hughes. Jack Hughes followed at 10:28, converting after sustained offensive-zone pressure. Hischier and Meier added quick back-to-back goals at 12:16 and 12:34, sealing the victory for New Jersey.
Chicago, which has struggled to close out games, allowed a similar third-period collapse in Thursday’s 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders.
Jesper Bratt and Brett Pesce contributed two assists each for the Devils.
Takeaways
Blackhawks: Chicago has been competitive but unable to finish strong in recent games. Commesso delivered an impressive performance in his debut, keeping the Blackhawks in the game through two periods.
Devils: New Jersey’s defensive play has been exceptional, holding opponents to fewer than 20 shots in three straight games during their 3-1-1 homestand.
Key Moment
Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard hit the crossbar during a power play early in the third period, narrowly missing a chance to extend Chicago’s lead.
Key Stat
Both teams went 0 for 3 on the power play.
Up Next
The Blackhawks return home to host the Islanders on Sunday. The Devils travel to St. Louis for a Tuesday night matchup.
