Double Hat Tricks Sink Devils | GAME STORY

Patrick Kane and Brandon Hagel each recorded a hat trick as the Chicago Blackhawks topped the Devils, 8-5, at United Center Friday night.
Kane was joined by fellow goal scorers Kirby Dach and Ryan Carpenter.
Devils received tallies from Jack Hughes, Yegor Sharangovich and Jesper Bratt (2).

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WHAT'S NEXT
The Devils return home to host the Vancouver Canucks Monday evening. The game can be seen on MSG+ and heard on the Devils Hockey Network, including right here at NewJerseyDevils.com. Puck drop is 7:38 p.m. ET.
Tickets are still available.
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Here are some observations from the game...
- Sharangovich played in his 100th-career NHL game. And boy, did he make the most of the milestone. He scored his 12th goal of the season with a ridiculous snipe, and also had a couple other great opportunities. - After Hughes had attempted a backhand shot from the goal line the puck popped into the air and landed in front of Sharangovich in the slot. He quickly snapped off a shot on the puck (which was still bouncing) into the net so hard that it came out as fast as it went in. Sharangovich has earned nine points (4G-5A) over the last six games dating back to Feb. 8. - A mistake by Hughes led to Chicago's opening goal of the game. The Devils were breaking the puck out of their own end when Ty Smith attempted to give Hughes the puck. Either Hughes wasn't expecting the pass or misjudged where it was, but he whiffed on the connection and the puck drifted to Hagel, who scored to make it 1-0 Chicago.

The play seemed to motivate Hughes. Shortly after he tied the game with a sick deke and tally at the side of the Blackhawks net, waiting for Lankinen to open his arm and wristing it six-hole. On the next shift Hughes hit a post. Later in the opening period it was Hughes' backhand try that led to Sharangovich's goal.

- Nico Hischier and Sharangovich each had breakaways in the game. Hischier couldn't turn the puck over at the crease and Kevin Lankinen was able to kick it away. Sharangovich tried to pull the puck from backhand to forehand, but the puck bounced off his stick.

Later in the game, Bratt also got a breakaway after sneaking behind the Blackhawks defensemen. Instead of even trying a move, he got to the slot and quickly ripped a shot through the five-hole for his 17th goal of the season. Perhaps he saw how chippy the ice was at the crease on Hischier/Sharangovich's tries or maybe he just wanted to catch Lankinen off guard. Regardless, it worked.

"We talked before the faceoff about what to do. I knew that I was going to fake the defensemen to go to the outside and jump inside," Bratt said. "I was watching the two breakaways before, and I saw that the goalie was good off the ice and that he was backing off a lot and came out pretty far so I wanted to make it a quick shot and surprise him a little bit."

Bratt would add another tally in the third period for back-to-back two goal games. He now has a career-high 18 goals on the season through 47 games. He posted 16 in 2019-20 in 60 contests.

"I still personally think that I have a lot more to give and be better and help the team win way more games," he said.

- Defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler tied the game at 4-4 halfway through the third period. It was his first goal of the season. And first goal in 95 games. In fact, the last time Siegenthaler scored a goal was Dec. 20, 2019. That came against the New Jersey Devils and Mackenzie Blackwood. Siegenthaler finished the night with a career-high three points by adding two assists.

"It feels good. It's been a while," Siegenthaler said. "I'm happy, but it's not the same feeling when you lose."

- Since Dec. 18, the Devils penalty kill was 45 for 50 (90%), among the best in the league. However, the Blackhawks were able to connect for three second-period power-play goals to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead. Two good shots and one bad bounce (a friendly fire deflection) and the usually strong and impenetrable PK encountered a tough night.

"It's probably the first night where our penalty killing has let us down. That was a big part of the game," Ruff said. "We got destroyed on special teams. They scored three power-play goals and our power play did not look good at all.

"You're hoping this is just a one and out because our penalty killing has been so good for so long. It's been running at a real high pace. Frankly, I'd rather have three in one game than one a game so hopefully we got it out of the way."