Where would the New Jersey Devils be without the play of captain Nico Hischier? Once again, with Jack Hughes out of the lineup, the Devils captain continues to step up and deliver. But this is who Hischier is. He will never complain about not being in the spotlight as he leads the way, and the rest of the team follows.
“I feel like Nico, throughout this whole season, and all of last year, he puts this team on his back, and he’s the hardest-working guy every day,” Jacob Markstrom said of Hischier’s play on Wednesday following the Devils win. “And it might not show on the goal sheet, but everyone in this room sees it.”
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While Jack Hughes might get all the attention, Hischier is a dangerous two-way player for the Devils. He is their number one center, despite what some in the media may say. Hischier is up to 22 points on the season (nine goals and 13 assists) in 20 games for the Devils. He is tied for the lead in points with Jesper Bratt.
However, over the last seven games, dating back to the November 18th game against the Washington Capitals, the first game the Devils knew they would be without Jack Hughes for at least eight weeks, Hischier has recorded 10 points (six goals and four assists).
Despite getting off to a slow start, points-wise, Hischier shows that when the Devils need him most, he is there to deliver.
“Yeah, huge. Nico, you can count on him every day. He comes and competes, and it’s nice to see him get rewarded for the way he’s been playing. So he’s obviously a massive threat to our team,” Timo Meier said following the Devils overtime win on Wednesday night against the St. Louis Blues.
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It is hard for a number one pick in any NHL Draft to be underrated, but Hischier just might be. There were only a handful of people who voted for him for the Selke last year. But his two-way game is undeniable. Not to mention, he draws the toughest matchups every night.
Nico Hischier plays in all areas of the game for the Devils. That’s not on five-on-five either. Hischier kills penalties as well as plays on the power play. He was a part of the units that helped kill off that four-minute high-sticking penalty to Ondrej Palat at the beginning of the third period. That was the turning point of the game for the Devils.
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Not to mention he factored in all three Devils’ goals against the St. Louis Blues. Though he didn’t get the first star of the game, he has been the team’s most valuable player during this recent stretch. So when Hischier is at the top of his game, not only defending, but contributing offensively, that is when he is the most effective.
“Nico has taken on a lot,” Sheldon Keefe said post-game. “Obviously, when Jack comes out, you ask a little bit more of him, and he’s bringing that. So he’s touching the game in all regards when he’s playing really well like that. It obviously serves us very well in terms of getting points.”
Hischier is in the right place at the right time defensively. Again, he has an active stick and doesn’t give the opposition time and space.
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Those instincts led to the Devils victory on Wednesday with Simon Nemec potting the winning goal. That play carried over on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres. Once again, Hischier’s line got the goal-scoring started. Timo Meier, who has always been a force without Jack Hughes in the lineup, didn’t give the Sabres defender time or space. The puck popped out to Hischier, and he scored.
It is the little details of the game that make him so good. The players feed off his game and know that if they play the Hischier way, they will be successful. After an embarrassing loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Devils have won three straight games as they look to continue their home point streak.
