Brian Halonen scored his first NHL goal, Dawson Mercer tallied two short-handed markers in the third period, and Jacob Markstrom made 42 saves as the New Jersey Devils rebounded with a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.
Nico Hischier also scored for New Jersey, which snapped a two-game skid after surrendering 13 goals in back-to-back losses. The victory came just one day after Markstrom signed a two-year, $12 million contract extension, and the veteran goaltender delivered one of his best performances of the season.
Markstrom, 35, was outstanding throughout, anchoring a strong defensive effort in only his second game since returning from injury. He kept the Kings off the board until Andrei Kuzmenko broke the shutout bid midway through the third period.
Mercer was the difference-maker late, scoring his team-leading seventh goal on a short-handed rush before adding a long-distance empty-netter with 3:48 remaining, securing his second straight multi-goal game.
Halonen, a 26-year-old undrafted forward who had appeared in only a handful of NHL games over the past two seasons, finally broke through for his first career goal. Playing in place of the injured Connor Brown, Halonen converted a sharp-angled shot in the second period to double New Jersey’s lead.
Hischier opened the scoring in the first period, deflecting a Luke Hughes point shot for his third goal of the season, ending a seven-game drought.
Darcy Kuemper stopped 18 shots for Los Angeles, which saw its seven-game point streak snapped after starting the season 1-3-1.
Up Next:
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Devils: Continue their road trip Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks.
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Kings: Host the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
