Hughes Scores Pair to Lift Devils Over Habs in Shootout | GAME STORY

NEWARK, NJ - Jack Hughes scored twice and again in the shootout to lead the Devils to a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night.

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The Devils return to the road and will visit the Boston Bruins on Thursday. 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.
In overtime, Mike Hoffman had a partial break and rang a shot off both posts and out. The play went to video review where it was confirmed that the puck did not cross the goal line.
The only two shots on goal in overtime were by Montreal.
The shootout was a marathon that saw the Devils at first fall behind on an early goal by Cole Caufield but Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes each scored. In the sixth shootout round, both Dougie Hamilton and Mike Hoffman scored and in the deciding round seven, Yegor Sharangovich decided it. Nico Daws turned away Paul Byron for the win.
"Last night was a disappointing loss. Tonight was a gratifying win. We're trying to get better in different areas," said Devils head coach Lindy Ruff. "We got through the first eight minutes and started to settle down. We were getting real good opportunities and I thought we tipped the game in our favor."
The game marked the first of the season for Miles Wood, who missed the first four months of the season due to injury.
"I thought my timing was as good as it could be for four months off," stated Wood. "I felt fine throughout the whole game. I fell near the boards in the second period and felt fine after that. It was nice to see the hip held up there."
Hughes added that he was happy to see Wood out there contributing.
"He brings a completely different element to our game. He's really fast, physical. You saw it tonight. That's game one and he'll find his fitting more."
The first chance of the game came midway through the first period as Jesper Bratt got in behind the Canadiens defense to break in all alone. His shot from the hashmarks was turned away by Habs netminder Samuel Montembeault.
In the final minute of the first, Montembeault gave the puck away to Jack Hughes after being pressured by Yegor Sharangovich. Hughes made no mistake, wiring the shot high past the Montreal netminder to put the Devils on the board first.
"Just take the two points," said Hughes. "You've got to win in different ways and that was a good win tonight. Not a come-from-behind but they had all the momentum coming into OT and for us to come out with a win it's huge for us."
Shots on goal after one were 13-8 for the Devils.
Devils took the momentum from their late goal in the first into the second. Ninety seconds into the middle frame, Hughes and Sharangovich carried in on a two-on-one. Sharangovich's shot just missed the mark.
With 11:36 left in the second, the Devils took a penalty for too many men on the ice, resulting in the first power play of the game going to Montreal. Devils were able to kill the penalty off without consequence, however.
The Devils then went on the man advantage with 7:39 to go in the second. A.J. Greer was tripped up by Josh Anderson. Hughes rang a shot off the post with 28 seconds to go in the power play and then with six seconds to go, whipped a Bratt cross-ice feed into the open cage for his second of the night.
Montreal went back to the power play a few minutes after the Hughes goal as Miles Wood was called for high sticking.
Tempers flared a minute into the penalty kill. Both sides engaged in pushing and shoving but the end result was an additional Devils penalty to Jonas Siegenthaler and a two-man advantage for Montreal for 56 seconds.
Devils were able to kill off both penalties but Montreal continued to sustain their pressure and it resulted in their first goal of the night with the Siegenthaler minor having just expired.
With 2:24 to go in the second, Josh Anderson redirected a shot in front past Nico Daws.
After two, shots on goal were even at 18 apiece.
The two sides traded power plays early in the third period but neither club was able to score with the man advantage.
"I thought power play controlled the zone," said Ruff. "Probably would have liked to see a better attack on our last power play but we made a heck of a play on our first power play goal. Didn't give up anything."
Montembeault made another great stop, denying Jimmy Vesey on a breakaway midway through the third.
With 41.8 seconds to go in the period, the Canadiens scored off the face-off to knot the game up at 2-2. It was Rem Pitlick's 13th of the season.
At the end of regulation, shots on goal were 32-31 for the Devils.