Timo Meier netted a breakaway goal at 2:12 of overtime, securing a 4-3 victory for the New Jersey Devils over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night. This marked the Devils’ second consecutive comeback win.
Late Game Heroics
Luke Hughes tied the game for the Devils with just 25 seconds remaining in regulation. With goalie Vitek Vanecek pulled for an extra attacker, Hughes beat Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins with a precise wrist shot.
“Yeah, I just came off the bench fresh, with some speed,” Hughes said. “I had the crossover behind the net, and from there, I just let my skating do the work. It’s a good effort for our team, got to clean some things up, but a big win for us.”
Consistent Comebacks
Following a similar comeback victory against Detroit on Saturday, the Devils now lead the NHL with 12 come-from-behind wins.
“I’m getting tired of the comeback stuff,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “Some guys were sharp, some guys weren’t sharp. I thought some of our top guys weren’t sharp, which affected our game.”
Columbus Struggles
Yegor Chinakhov gave the Blue Jackets a 3-2 lead with 2:26 left in regulation, scoring after poke-checking the puck away from Jonas Siegenthaler. Columbus has now lost an NHL-worst 17 leads this season.
“The effort was pretty solid for the most part,” Columbus defenseman Damon Severson said. “We had a couple of shots at it. It was one of those games where we probably deserved better.”
Scoring Summary
Ondrej Palat and Dawson Mercer also scored for New Jersey, with Mercer tying the game at 2 with 4:09 remaining in regulation. Vitek Vanecek contributed 26 saves.
Justin Danforth and Jake Bean added goals for Columbus, while Merzlikins stopped 31 shots. The Blue Jackets are now 4-9-3 on the road.
Upcoming Games
- Blue Jackets: Host Toronto on Friday night.
- Devils: Travel to Ottawa on Friday night.
