NEWARK, NJ - Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt combined for 10 points - five each - for the Devils in a 7-3 victory against Washington at Prudential Center Thursday night.

Hughes had two goals and three assists while Bratt had one goal, his 20^th of the season, and four assists. Both set career highs for points in a game with their five. 

"When you find each to other tape-to-tape and with speed and you get behind them you get to use your skill," Bratt said. "We created good opportunities from the start. We got some long O zone shifts and our execution off the rush was really dialed in. We got some good goals out of that."

Also with five points against the Capitals, Hughes has 32 points (12g-20a) in 18 games since the Olympic break. The four assists for Bratt are also a career high in a single game. 

Cody Glass, Dawson Mercer (2) and Dougie Hamilton also scored for New Jersey.

Washington received goals from Cole Hutson, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson.

Here are some observations from the game:

• Stay tuned after the final buzzer!

• The Devils drew first blood as center Cody Glass converted his 16^th goal of the season after a nice passing display by the Devils. It was a 3-on-2 when Nick Bjugstad made a sweeping lateral pass to Lenni Hameenaho. From there, Hameenaho drifted to the left of the goal, luring goaltender Logan Thompson to him, before sending a drop pass to Glass in the slot for the open-net goal.

• When it comes to sweet goals, you won’t see any better than though than the one Mercer and Timo Meier connected on. Meier had the puck below the goal line with Mercar at the side of the crease. Meier feathered a perfect pass through sticks right to Mercer, who ripped a perfect snap shot high and just under the crossbar.

Mercer: "I was happy to get that one in the slot. It's always a good sign when you can just hammer one at the net and it worked out well for me."

Mercer would add the empty-netter to seal the game late in the third period. It was his 100th career NHL goal.

Mercer: "I've been trying to get that puck in the net, but it felt good."

• After the Devils blew a 2-0 lead, Dougie Hamilton reclaimed it, 3-2, late in the first period. And he did so, thanks to the work of Connor Brown. Though he didn’t get an assist, Brown stationed himself right in front of the eyes of Thompson – and partially in the crease – to allow Hamilton’s one-timer to sail through all the traffic and into the net before Thompson even knew what happened.

Also, stick tap the stick handling work of Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt on the sequence as they masterfully worked the puck around in the offensive zone that would eventually lead to the goal.

• When it comes to sweet goals (again), peanut butter and jelly hooked up in the second period for their first goal of the night. Bratt carried the puck down the right side on a 2-on-1 before saucing a pass across to Hughes, who snapped it home for the goal.

Bratt: "We played with each other so much. I know usually Jack is not too far away from me. I knew he was somewhere around there."

Hughes would add his second goal of the game in the second period, taking a pass to the right of the crease and reaching around to tuck in the puck far side. Bratt would score on the power play after some nice tic-tac-toe passing on a play started by Hughes.  Both Bratt and Hughes would figure in on Mercer's finishing empty-netter.