Luke's OT Winner Completes Comeback Win V. Caps | GAME STORY

The Devils season has been one of records and overcoming.
So it was only fitting that Devils recorded their NHL-leading 26th comeback, NHL-leading ninth multi-goal comeback, first three-goal comeback in a 5-4 overtime win at Washington Thursday night at Capital One Arena.
"Even the fact to fight back to night and get the win in overtime kind of summed up the season," head coach Lindy Ruff said. "We had a poor first period, but we rebounded and won in overtime."
The Devils overcame a 4-1 deficit to win when Luke Hughes scored the game-winning goal, his first in the NHL. He added an assist for his first two-point game in the NHL. His older brother Jack Hughes assisted on the winner, giving him 99 points on the season, a new club record.
"Your first goal you never forget," Luke said. "It was awesome to be out there and with Jacky assisting it, it was pretty cool."
The win was the Devils' 52nd of the year while picking up 112 points, both set a franchise record. New Jersey also set an NHL record for biggest point improvement from one season to the next with a 49-point improvement.
Erik Haula scored twice while Dougie Hamilton and Miles Wood also chipped in tallies.
Craig Smith, Rasmus Sandin, Tom Wilson and Joe Snively scored for Washington.
Due to Carolina's 6-4 win against Florida, the Devils will play the New York Rangers in the First Round of the Stanley Cup playoffs after finishing second in the Metro Division.
"We're going to play a good team with a lot of experience," Ruff said of the Rangers. "Great goaltender. We know we have our hands full."

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Here are some observations from the game...
- Goaltender Akria Schmid relieved Mackenzie Blackwood after the latter surrendered four goals on 11 shots. Schmid slammed the door shut, giving up nothing in the final three periods of play while stopping all 20 shots against. He was absolutely brilliant in helping fuel the Devils' comeback.

"He's done it before for us," Ruff said of Schmid. "He's made some big saves. He made a couple big saves in overtime. You have to give him a lot of credit stepping in, getting here this afternoon, stepping in and giving us the win."

- Haula is hitting his stride just in time for playoffs. He scored his 12th and 13th goals of the season, but has six tallies in his past seven contests. And both goals were beauties.

"Tonight, the first shot was a heck of a shot," Ruff said of Haula. "He was a difference maker for us tonight. ... He's been able to find the back of the net recently. He might be one of those guys at this time of year, the bigger the moment the better they get."

On his first he drilled an absolute bullet into the top corner. Goalie Darcy Kuemper was well above his crease to challenge. It required a perfect shot and that's exactly what Haula put up. On his sedond, Haula was sprung on the a breakaway. Though he was stick checked on the play, he still managed to pull the puck to the side and let it trickle into the goal.

- Hamilton's goal to tie the game at 4-4 late in the third period was his 22nd of the year, tying Barry Beck for most ever in franchise history (Colorado, 1977-78). - Before winning the game, rookie defenseman Luke Hughes picked up his first-career point with an assist on Haula's first-period goal. Hughes spun on the play at his own blue line before finding Yegor Sharangovich in the center dot. Sharangovich hit Haula, who would score on a bomb. A big congrats to the youngster. - Curtis Lazar returned to the lineup for the first time since March 18. And he was involved in one of the more unique sequences you'll ever see in a game. Lazar blocked a slap shot with his stick, which shattered the lumber into two. He remained on the ice stickless. He then engaged with Rasmus Sandin in the corner where Sandin dropped his own stick. Lazar, seeing an opportunity, picked up Sandin's stick and skated away with it. Sandin then grabbed him from behind and slammed him to the ice before the two dropped the gloves. Both men received fighting majors with Sandin getting a roughing and Lazar getting the usual "illegal equipment." - The Devils made a few players healthy scratches to rest for playoffs. They were forward Ondrej Palat and defensemen John Marino and Ryan Graves and lastly goalie Vitek Vanecek was given the night off.