Stefan Noesen and Connor Brown scored the goals, Nico Hischier chipped in two assists, and the New Jersey Devils edged the Utah Mammoth 2–1 on Friday night to earn their third win in four games.
Jacob Markstrom was outstanding in net for New Jersey, stopping 32 shots while the Devils also sacrificed defensively, blocking 25 attempts to preserve the narrow victory.
Utah got on the board first when Daniil But netted his first NHL goal midway through the opening period. The 20-year-old rookie lifted a pass from Sean Durzi over Markstrom’s shoulder at 9:35 to give the Mammoth a 1–0 lead. Karel Vejmelka finished with 20 saves for Utah.
The Devils pulled even late in the second period when Brown converted a slick feed from Hischier with 8:39 remaining. Brown scored on his lone shot of the night and now has goals in three of his last four games, bringing his season total to nine.
New Jersey finally grabbed the lead early in the third on the power play. Hischier’s slap shot was turned aside, but Noesen was waiting at the crease to bury the rebound at 4:20. Luke Hughes also assisted, collecting his 19th helper of the season.
Utah pushed hard late, pulling the goalie and earning a brief 6-on-4 advantage, but the Devils weathered the final 1:21 to secure the win.
The game marked several milestones for the Mammoth. Alexander Kerfoot made his season debut after missing the first 36 games following offseason surgery. At the same time, defenseman John Marino skated in his 400th NHL game, the first player to reach that mark with Utah. Durzi extended his point streak to four games, his longest with the club.
Up Next
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Devils: Host Buffalo on Sunday.
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Mammoth: Host Winnipeg on Sunday.
