NEWARK, NJ - Jack Hughes has dominated the New York Rangers throughout his NHL career. In the first meeting between the Devils-Rangers this season though, it was his brother, Luke, that stole the show.

Luke Hughes scored twice and was a plus-3 for New Jersey in route to a lopsided 7-1 victory against hated rival New York at Prudential Center on Thursday night.

Evan Rodrigues, Nico Hischier, Arseny Gritsyuk, Stefan Noesen and Cody Glass (shorthanded) also tallied goals in the game.

The Devils scored three goals in the first five minutes of the second period to make it a 4-0 contest and blow the game open. They never looked back.

"We knew it's a big game," Hischier said. "I think the Rangers come in here feeling good, and we are still trying to find our game, and that one felt good. So, we came out, executed, and did what we wanted to do, and played a 60-minute hockey game."

Jack Hughes picked up an assist and now has 36 points (20g-16a) in 27 games against New York in his career.

Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe won his 300^th career game behind the bench in the NHL.

The Devils win the opening bout in the Hudson River Rivalry. 

"It's always good to beat the Rangers," Hischier said. "I think I said that before. It's always nice to beat the Rangers. Like I said, it was a really important game, and we were very sharp. We knew what's at stake because they were feeling good, and we were about to try to feel good, and that's why, yeah, it was a great win, and now we just got to take the right things out of it and get going here."

Here are some observations from the game:

• The Devils blew this game open in the first five minutes of the second period. They scored three goals in a 4:21-minute span to make it a 4-0 contest. Luke Hughes started the scoring just 18 seconds after the start of the period. Nico Hischier and Arseny Gritsyuk would tally 31-seconds apart to finish off the run. That put the Devils in complete control and ended the night for goalie Dylan Garand.

“It was really tight in the first period, and I think everyone was just happy," Luke Hughes said. "We didn't break at all throughout the game. And then in the second, we opened it up a little bit and started scoring our opportunities and getting more chances. And, I don't know, I think everyone was just happy with the way we played from minute one to 60."

"I don't do this very often, but I showed all four goals in the second intermission to the team on video, and just to highlight the process and how we scored those goals," head coach Sheldon Keefe said. "Kind of tried to set it up in the third period that we would, because we want guys to score more. Guys are feeling it, they want to go, but this is how we're scoring, and it's sound hockey, moving the puck quickly through the neutral zone, playing in behind their defense, earning the puck back, and then attacking the net off of that. So, if I'm thinking back, I believe all four goals in the second period are all off of O zone play. They're all off of forecheck and winning the puck back, and then the offense is coming off of that. So, that's a really good sign that we can adhere to that and get rewarded for it."

• Arseny Gritsyuk has been electrifying since joining Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. He has helped the dynamic duo to elevate their game and take that trio to a whole new level of dominance. That was on full display on Gristyuk’s second-period goal.

Hughes set up Gritsyuk on a breakaway, but his shot went off the post. The Devils collected the puck and Dougie Hamilton sent a shot pass off the backboards to Gritsyuk, who sent a pass through the crease to Hughes on the opposite side. With every Ranger on the ice moving toward Jack, who threw the puck on net. The rebound bounced directly back to Gritsyuk for a finish with a fully empty net.

• Hughes’ second goal of the game was a thing of beauty and showcases all his offensive talents. He carried the puck down the right wall. He used his back to shield New York’s Jaroslav Chmelar. As he got to the bottom circle he cut toward the net, flipped the puck to his forehand and went far post and in for the tally. It showed Hughes’ hockey IQ, his awareness, his vision, his hands and most importantly, his elite skating.

"I think, got to watch Quinn (Hughes) and (Zach) Werenski and some really talented guys in the summer and talk about things like that," Luke said. "And, I don't know, I think you just read the play. Like, I've been dropping to Pesce a lot, and kind of sold that, and he kind of bite it, and then I just turned the corner and was in."

• Hischier's second-period goal was his fourth of the season and 203rd of his career, passing Travis Zajac and Bobby Holik for 3rd place in franchise history. 

"These things obviously make me a little proud, but for me, I'd rather get a fourth Stanley Cup to this franchise," Hischier said. "So, obviously, I've worked really hard to get to this point, but I'm not done. I still want to keep working hard, and like I said last time too, with my 200th goal, there's been more to come, and I just want to bring this team somewhere."

• Evan Rodrigues opened the game's scoring, makjing the Rangers pay for a drastic mistake in their D zone. JT Miller had the puck along the near halfway. He attempted a lateral pass, but he flubbed the pass and the puck slid across at half speed. But it was enough for Rodrigues to pick up above the circle, skate to the right dot and beat goalie Dylan Garand on the blocker side.

• Five players for the Devils had multi-point games, including Rodrigues, Brett Pesce, Timo Meier, Luke Hughes and Amadeus Lombardi. 

• In the first period, Rangers forward Will Cuylle laid a big hit into Devils defenseman Declan Chisholm. Immediately, Chisholm’s D partner stepped in to fight Cuylle and make him pay the piper. Chisholm made sure to skate over the penalty box and give Kovacevic a fist bump of appreciation after that.