Jack Hughes, Devils Deliver Big Win for Dads and Mentors | GAME STORY

COLUMBUS, OH - Jack Hughes scored a hat trick on Saturday night, perhaps one for father Jim, another for uncle Marty and one for himself, with Jim and Marty in attendance at Nationwide Arena on the first half of the Dad and Mentor Trip the club is hosting this weekend.

Hughes gave his club an early lead, scoring his 99th goal of his career, just 46 seconds into the game that also so happens to be the fastest goal Hughes has scored in a game in his 267th NHL game.

Jesper Bratt set up Jack Hughes for his 100th NHL goal and chimed in later on another big milestone night, this time for his captain Nico Hischier.

"They came in our building and beat us so we knew we were game on," Hischier said, "to get that back, I think was a 60-minute good effort. A good win from our group, all four lines were going, we were rolling through the lines. It was a good win."

Hischier scored the Devils fifth goal of the season, assisted by Bratt, for his 300th career point. Hischier's 300th point came in his 398th NHL game and Bratt finished the game with a three-point night.

"Those are two of the guys, especially Nico, that I’ve been around the whole time," Bratt said post-game. "Obviously that’s awesome for them. They’re going to have a lot more going forward and I hope to help to contribute to a lot of them.”

New Jersey also had the goal support from Erik Haula's first-period goal, his eighth of the year, and Tyler Toffoli added a quick goal just 50 seconds into the second period.

Jack became the fastest player in Devils team history to reach 100 career goals, a record previously held by Brian Gionta (284 GP).

In front of their special guests, the Devils put together a 6-3 victory, their fifth win in the past six games.

Kirill Marchenko and Yegor Chinakhov scored for the Blue Jackets, while goaltender Daniil Tarasov was making his season debut.

Here are some observations from the game:

• Jack Hughes's goal 46 seconds of the game was the first shot in the NHL that Blue Jackets netminder Daniil Tarasov faced this season. Unfortunately for Tarasov, but fortunately for the Devils, it was the ultra-talented Hughes in front of him, who took the first shot against him this season.

Tarasov has played 21 games throughout the last two seasons and made his season debut tonight.

• Jesper Bratt extended his point streak to seven games with his assist on Tyler Toffoli's 13th goal of the season. He is now one game shy of his season-high streak of 8 games. Bratt ended the night with three assists.

• Jack Hughes leads the Devils in goal scoring with 14 goals. 

• Jack Hughes's power-play goal ended a tough stretch for the Devils man advantage, scoring for the first time in four games, the longest stretch of the season without a power play goal.

• The Devils saw their two-goal lead after the first period slip to 2-1 just 17 seconds into the second period when the Blue Jackets capitalized on their power play opportunity on a goal by Kirill Marchenko, but it wouldn't be long before the two-goal lead was restored, Toffoli's goal coming just 33 seconds after Marchenko's goal.

• Two of the four New Jersey goals were scored in the opening minute of the period tonight.

• Tonight marked the first time that Akira Schmid's dad Andreas has watched his son play live in an NHL game.

• Dawson Mercer made a huge shot block at the end of the game with the Blue Jackets pressing with a 6-on-5 advantage. The block was one of those unsung moments, as Mercer limped off the ice. 

"That was huge," Bratt said, "those are plays that matter, those are plays that don't always show up on the scoresheet or the fancy plays, but it helped us win the game."

• Mercer's father Craig read the starting lineup in the locker room prior to the game, with his thick Newfoundland accent stealing the show!