Jesper Bratt recorded a goal and an assist as the New Jersey Devils pulled away for a 4-1 victory over the Utah Mammoth on Saturday night.
Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, and Dougie Hamilton also scored for New Jersey, while Brett Pesce chipped in two assists and blocked five shots. Jack Hughes scored two goals, marking his first multi-point effort since returning from a hand injury that sidelined him for 18 games.
Utah’s lone goal came in the third period from Michael Carcone, with Barrett Hayton and Sean Durzi earning assists. The Mammoth dropped their fourth game in six outings.
The Devils improved to 22-17-2, earning just their second win in five games. New Jersey is now 11-7-2 at Prudential Center, with much of that home success coming early in the season. Entering the matchup, the Devils ranked last in the Eastern Conference in goals scored.
Bratt opened the scoring in the first period, and Meier followed shortly after to give New Jersey a quick 2-0 advantage. Pesce assisted on both goals. Meier’s tally was his first since Dec. 9 after missing five games earlier in the month for a family matter.
New Jersey widened the gap on a power play midway through the second when Hischier tipped in a shot for his 12th goal of the season, snapping a recent 13-game scoring drought with goals in back-to-back games. Just 90 seconds later, Hamilton made it 4-0, ending a 26-game goal drought that dated back to Oct. 28.
Jacob Markstrom turned aside 30 shots for the Devils, while Karel Vejmelka made 26 saves for Utah.
Up Next
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Mammoth: Visit the New York Rangers on Monday.
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Devils: Host the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
