The Devils won their fourth game in the past five tries since the holiday break after besting the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-1, Thursday night at Prudential Center.
Tomas Tatar, Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes, who finished with three points, tallied for the Devils. Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 31 of 32 shots in the contest.
Max Domi was the lone goal scorer for the Blue Jackets.
Hughes' 3 Points Power Devils Past Jackets | GAME STORY
Hughes notched a goal and two assists to give the Devils their fourth win in five games
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The Devils finish their home-and-home series with the Blue Jackets in Columbus Saturday night. The game can be seen on MSG+ and heard on the Devils Hockey Network, including right here at NewJerseyDevils.com. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. ET.
Here are some observations from the game...
- The real difference maker in the game was New Jersey's penalty killing unit. The group went a perfect 4-for-4 on the night, including a crucial kill late in the third period while protecting a one-goal lead. The Devils also scored a power-play goal on the night. The Devils won the special teams battle, and thus, the game.
"The late kill was really important," head coach Lindy Ruff said. "I thought special teams was the difference."
- Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt are really feeling themselves while working together, whether at even strength or on the power play. Both players helped create the Devils first two goals of the game. After Hughes won an offensive zone faceoff, Bratt retrieved the puck and then found Tomas Tatar all alone in front for the tally.
On a power play in the third period, the duo snapped the 1-1 tie when Hughes carried and found Bratt in the slot. Bratt quickly snapped off a shot that went far side into the goal for the man-advantage tally.
The two men also created a couple more chances and were passing back-and-forth in the offensive zone as if the Blue Jackets didn't even exist.
"(Bratt) is one of our most highly skilled players. He's been driving this team for most of the year now," Hughes said. "It's been great playing with him. We have some really good chemistry. ... Both of our games are popping and excelling and we're feeding off each other."
Hughes (1G-2A) and Bratt (1G-1A) each finished the night with two points. Hughes, the NHL's Second Star of the Week last week, has 12 points (4G-8A) in his last five games. Bratt has eight points (2G-6A) in his past five games.
"(Hughes) makes a difference when he's on the ice," Bratt said. "Everyone sees how big of part of our organization he is. He has great speed, great hockey sense. He creates scoring chances every time he's on the ice. He has that mindset that I like to play with, to create stuff every time and really want to make a difference for the team, and take pride as a difference maker."
- Tomas Tatar is 2-for-2 since returning from the COVID-19 protocol list in the goal department. He tallied in his first game back at Boston on Tuesday and followed that up with another goal - this one just 51 seconds into the game - Thursday against Columbus.
Tatar had a silly stupid display of hands on his goal. A blown coverage by Columbus allowed Tatar to sneak into the slot uncontested. Hughes won the offensive zone faceoff and Bratt was able to find Tatar. From there, the Slovak deked several times before going backhand and bardown. Truly, a thing of beauty.
- The Devils' playoff aspirations lay squarely on the shoulders of goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood now that Jonathan Bernier is out for the season following hip surgery. He was fighting some rebound control in the first period - which led to the first Columbus goal - but was able to settle down and put forth a solid performance.
"It feels good to win," Blackwood said. "I got some puck luck and our team played well. We'll try to keep that thing going."
Blackwood's best sequence came in the waning seconds of the first period while the Devils were killing a penalty. Blackwood stopped sniper Patrik Laine from the side of the net. Then he stopped Boone Jenner point blank cutting to the net. Lastly, he dove out to deny Oliver Bjorkstrand, who thought he had a wide-open net. The trio of saves kept it a tie game and were three of his 17 saves in the opening frame.
"I thought we got a great effort out of Mackenzie," Ruff said. "The first period we weren't running on all cylinders. He made some big saves for us to allow us to win the hockey game."
