Hughes' first two-goal game in NHL lifts Devils past Lafreniere, Rangers

NEW YORK -- Mackenzie Blackwood made 47 saves, and Jack Hughes scored three points for the New Jersey Devils in a 4-3 win against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.

Hughes, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, had his first two-goal game in the NHL. He has a Devils-high six points (two goals, four assists) in three games. He scored 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in 61 games as a rookie last season.
"It's obviously high," Hughes said of his confidence. "It's always been high, but we're building and I'm building personally. Obviously, (Devils coach) Lindy [Ruff] has a lot of faith in me, so I've got to deliver, and we've been able to do that so far. I feel good right now and we've got to keep rolling, I've got to keep producing for this team to win."
It was the first game between 19-year-old forwards Hughes and Alexis Lafreniere, chosen No. 1 by the Rangers in the 2020 NHL Draft. It was the 16th time that teenagers selected No. 1 in the NHL Draft in consecutive years played each other.
Lafreniere had one shot on goal in 14:14 of ice time.
"I want to see his game grow," Ruff said of Hughes. "What I've seen in the first three games is probably way ahead of where I thought he could be."

Miles Wood scored and had an assist, and Travis Zajac scored for the Devils (2-0-1).
Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Filip Chytil scored for the Rangers (1-2-0). Alexandar Georgiev allowed four goals on 20 shots in 40 minutes. He was replaced by Igor Shesterkin (eight saves) to start the third period.
"We had plenty of chances," New York coach David Quinn said. "We just have to go to work tomorrow and keep getting better in understanding what we need to do and how we need to play to have success consistently. That was the thing, we weren't consistent enough in the things that we need to do to win."

Blackwood, who made 20 saves in each of the second and third periods, has allowed six goals, one at even strength, on 115 shots in three starts (.947 save percentage).
"I don't really like to reflect on stats that much because when they're bad sometimes they're out of your control and when they're good sometimes you're getting bounces you wouldn't otherwise," Blackwood said. "It's all about how I feel. Right now, I feel pretty good."
The Devils and Rangers combined for five goals in the second period, three by New Jersey.
Kreider scored a power-play goal that went in off Devils defenseman Ryan Murray at 2:50 to tie it 1-1.
The first of Hughes' back-to-back goals came 1:23 later to give the Devils a 2-1 lead. The puck got behind Georgiev and stayed above the goal line long enough for Hughes to knock it in.
He made it 3-1 at 8:38, springing himself on a breakaway by blocking Jacob Trouba's shot with his shin pads before scoring on a backhand through Georgiev's legs.
"Some of it's luck," Hughes said. "Last year I was unlucky. This year, you look at this game today, the puck is just sitting on the goal line waiting for me. A puck off my shin pads, that could have bounced in the corner but it bounced right for a breakaway."
Zibanejad scored the Rangers' second power-play goal at 12:09, cutting the Devils' lead to 3-2.

Hughes passed to Wood in front for a power-play goal at 16:00 to make it 4-2.
The Devils had a would-be goal by P.K. Subban at 17:45 negated by a challenge for offside.
Chytil scored at 7:00 of the third period to make it 4-3, but the Devils killed two penalties in the final 9:15 to keep the lead.
"It was a gutsy effort," Blackwood said. "We've got to find a way to close out tight games on the road, and I think we're all pretty proud of the way we did it tonight."

Zajac gave New Jersey a 1-0 lead 32 seconds into the first period.
"Finding consistency through the whole game and avoiding the big mistake is something that will help us out," Trouba said. "But take the puck possession, the [offensive]-zone stuff, we got a lot of pucks to the net. … To put up 50 (shots) is a good sign."
NOTES: Zibanejad fell into the boards and did not play in the final 2:42. No update was given after the game.