Jack Hughes scored with 1:37 remaining in overtime as the New Jersey Devils rallied for a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers in their home opener Thursday night.
Hughes finished the game with a wrist shot off a feed from Jesper Bratt after his brother Luke Hughes tied the score midway through the third period. Dougie Hamilton also scored for New Jersey, while Jake Allen made 23 saves.
Philadelphia received goals from Rasmus Ristolainen and Travis Sanheim. Joseph Woll stopped 41 shots for the Flyers, who played one night after a 7-0 home loss to Pittsburgh.
Ristolainen Opens Scoring
Philadelphia struck first midway through the opening period.
Sanheim sent a shot from the point toward the net, and Ristolainen redirected the puck past Allen to give the Flyers a 1-0 advantage.
The goal provided Philadelphia with an improved start after its difficult result against Pittsburgh the previous night.
New Jersey generated plenty of pressure but could not immediately solve Woll.
The Flyers’ offseason acquisition from Toronto repeatedly turned away the Devils and helped Philadelphia protect its one-goal advantage deep into the second period.
New Jersey eventually broke through with just over two minutes remaining in the period.
Hamilton Reaches Devils Milestone
Hamilton tied the game at 17:59 of the second.
The veteran defenseman fired from the point, and the shot deflected off the left post before finding the net.
The goal made it 1-1 and also gave Hamilton a franchise milestone.
Playing his 306th game for New Jersey, Hamilton became the second-fastest defenseman in Devils history to reach 200 points with the franchise.
Only Scott Stevens reached the mark faster, doing so in 250 games.
Hamilton’s goal also continued a notable pattern that lasted throughout regulation.
Every goal scored during the first three periods came from a defenseman.
Sanheim Restores Philadelphia Lead
The Flyers regained the advantage early in the third period.
Sanheim, who had assisted on Philadelphia’s opening goal, scored on a slap shot after receiving the puck from Sean Couturier.
The goal put the Flyers ahead 2-1 and forced New Jersey to chase the game again.
Woll continued to face steady pressure as the Devils searched for another equalizer.
Philadelphia’s lead lasted until the midway point of the third.
This time, Luke Hughes provided the answer for New Jersey.
Luke Hughes Ties Game in Third
Luke Hughes scored at 9:44 of the third period to pull the Devils even at 2-2.
Luke Evangelista set up the play before Hughes beat Woll with a snapshot.
The goal gave New Jersey its second comeback of the night.
Philadelphia had taken leads of 1-0 and 2-1, but the Devils responded each time.
Neither team found another goal during regulation, sending the game to overtime.
Woll played a major role in getting Philadelphia at least one point.
The Devils consistently tested him throughout the night, but he kept the Flyers in the game despite facing considerably more shots than Allen at the other end.
Jack Hughes Ends Game in Overtime
New Jersey finally broke through for the decisive goal late in overtime.
Bratt helped create the opportunity before finding Jack Hughes.
Hughes finished the play with a wrist shot, ending the game with 1:37 left in the extra period.
The goal completed New Jersey’s comeback and gave the Devils a win in their first home game of the season.
It also provided a productive start for Hughes after another important year in his career.
He led New Jersey with 77 points last season despite missing 21 games because of a hand injury.
His 27 goals ranked second on the team.
The Devils struggled during his absence, going 8-13-0 without the top overall pick from the 2019 NHL draft.
Hughes also entered the new NHL season after helping Team USA win the gold medal at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Woll Keeps Flyers Close
Philadelphia faced significant pressure throughout the game, but Woll repeatedly kept the Devils from pulling away.
He finished with 41 saves in his Flyers appearance following an offseason trade with Toronto.
New Jersey generated enough chances to score three times, but Woll’s work allowed Philadelphia to carry two separate leads and force overtime.
Allen faced less activity at the other end.
The Devils goaltender stopped 23 shots and held Philadelphia scoreless after Sanheim’s goal early in the third.
New Jersey needed that stability while searching for the tying goal.
Luke Hughes eventually provided it before his brother finished the comeback in overtime.
Defensemen Control Regulation Scoring
The first 60 minutes featured an unusual scoring pattern.
All four regulation goals came from defensemen.
Ristolainen opened the scoring for Philadelphia before Hamilton answered for New Jersey.
Sanheim restored the Flyers’ advantage early in the third, and Luke Hughes tied the game later in the period.
Jack Hughes became the first forward to score when he ended the game in overtime.
Sanheim finished with a goal and an assist for Philadelphia, while the Hughes brothers supplied New Jersey’s final two goals.
Devils Open Home Schedule With Win
New Jersey entered the season with much of its offensive core intact.
The Devils returned their top eight scorers from last season after finishing seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a 42-37-3 record and 87 points.
Jack Hughes remains central to that group after leading the team in scoring last season despite his injury absence.
His importance was evident in New Jersey’s record without him.
On Thursday, both Hughes brothers played major roles in turning a third-period deficit into a win.
Luke Hughes tied the game before Jack Hughes provided the overtime finish.
The result gave New Jersey a successful home opener, while Philadelphia earned a point one night after its seven-goal loss to Pittsburgh.
Up Next
The Flyers return home Saturday to face the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Devils visit the New York Islanders on Saturday.
