Meier Nets Winner, Hischier Scores 2 | GAME STORY

NASHVILLE, TN - It took some patience. But that's what the Devils were on Tuesday night.

After firing 22 shots at Nashville netminder Juuse Saros in the first period with nothing to show for it, the Devils took their time and time and waited for their chances.

It started with a perfect shot and led to a 4-2 victory in Nashville. 

"It's a good game for us again," captain Nico Hischier said, "Obviously (Saros) made some great saves but we didn't get frustrated, we stuck with it and at the end I think we earned that win."

Jack Hughes put on an end-to-end clinic, his wrist shot from a sharp angle going up and over Saros' far shoulder, pinging the corner the crossbar meets the post and into the net in the second period. The goal was the Devils first of the night and tied the game at one. That goal would be followed by Nico Hischier's 15th of the season. He's redirection hit the mesh behind Saros, changing the direction on a Jesper Bratt shot, tying the game at two. 

“I just went a little off the net, I haven’t seen it yet, I guess it hit me, but I wasn’t even trying to tip it," Hischier added, "I think it was just a bit of luck, but that’s what we needed We had some good chances, we burried some goals. If we just keep going, keep going, then all of a sudden one of those goes in.”

The Predators twice forced the Devils to come from behind, scoring the opening goal on the power play at 4:04 of the first period and again at 7:01 of the second.

After Hischier tied up the game, it was Timo Meier's turn.

Meier, in a flurry in front of Saros, poked the puck behind the Nashville netminder for the game-winning 3-2 goal. The good old-fashioned get the net mentality paid dividends, Meier scoring the game-winner securing just the second win the second half of a back-to-back this season. 

“We’re in these games," Meier said post-game, "We know we can create chances offensively but we’ve got to be defending the right way so we just kind of built that confidence over the last couple of games where we’ve been defending well and we got some huge saves from our goalie. That’s just how we’ve got to continue.”

The goal was Meier's first since Dec. 27 and his second point in as many games. Hischier secured the win with his second goal of the night, an empty-net goal with less than 40 seconds to play.

"Happy for him," Hischier said, "He's battling hard, really happy for him."

New Jersey are now winners of two of their last three games and winners on back-to-back nights. 

Ryan O'Reilly and Tommy Novak scored for Nashville.

Here are some observations from the game:

• With 16:47 to play in the second period, the referees took a long look at a play between Luke Evangelista and Nico Daws where a second effort by Evangelista's stick looked like the puck may have potentially crossed the line between Daws's skate and goal post. With the call on the ice originally no goal, the referees took a second look at the replays, the call on the ice stood and it was deemed no goal.

Looking at the replays it may have been as close as you get, with the puck sitting on the goal line but not necessarily having fully crossed the line. The call of 'No goal' meant the Devils and Predators carried on the game tied at one.

• The 22 shots in the first period fell just one short of tying a season-high. On Dec. 1 the Devils put up 23 shots, including two goals, in the third period of their game against the San Jose Sharks.

Predators goaltender Juuse Saros had his work cut out for himself in the first and stopped everything he faced, including a couple of high-danger chances by Jack Hughes, who appears to have kicked things up another gear since his return.

• The defensive efforts the Devils have put together over the last few games are a testament to buy-in and the team getting progressively healthier. The Devils have given up just three goals over their past three games in regulation. 

“There’s a lot of things,” Lindy Ruff began to explain of the difference he's seeing from his team, “We’re a healthier team, we’re spending more time in the offensive zone so you’re not defending as much, we’re rolling out there with four lines and those lines are playing well. When you look at getting back to your own end, we’re not getting hemmed in, we’re not having those contained shifts where you get tired. Any time you’re tired a lot of time there’s danger. And I think the detail of staying inside, the guys have done a good job of coming back and stopping and staying inside.”

• Curtis Lazar played his 500th career NHL game tonight, in the same arena where his NHL career began. On Oct. 9. 2014, Lazar made his NHL debut with the Ottawa Senators against the Predators in Nashville. 

• Nico Daws started on back-to-back nights. He earned the 3-1 victory against the Seattle Kraken in his first game since Jan. 25.

• Buckling down on their defensive efforts, the Devils have conceded just three goals

• Defenseman Brendan Smith returned to the Devils lineup after missing 10 games with a sprained knee.

• General manager Tom Fitzgerald took part in the ceremonial faceoff at Bridgestone Arena with the Predators celebrating Captains Night. Fitzgerald was the first captain in franchise history.