Jesper Bratt had a goal and two assists, and Connor Brown and Johnathan Kovacevic each had two assists for New Jersey (32-29-2), which has won four straight. Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves in his third straight start.
Hughes, who scored the overtime winner for Team USA in the gold medal game against Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 last month, has 19 goals in 24 career games against the Rangers.
The Devils were 3-for-3 on the power play and 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
Will Borgen, Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Cuylle scored for New York (24-30-8), which was 2-0-2 in its previous four games. Jonathan Quick made 29 saves.
Nico Hischier scored a power-play goal on a rebound to give the Devils a 4-3 lead at 8:05 of the third period.
Hughes took a lead pass from Brown and scored on a breakaway for a 5-3 lead at 16:56 before scoring an empty-net goal at 19:28 for the 6-3 final.
Bratt gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 1:06 of the first period, scoring on a one-timer from the low in the right face-off circle off a cross-ice pass by Cody Glass.
Quick denied Timo Meier on a similar shot at 5:29 before Borgen pulled the Rangers into a 1-1 tie 57 seconds later, scoring with a wrist shot from top of the left circle at 6:26.
The Rangers took their first lead at 2-1 when Gavrikov scored on a slap shot from the top of the left circle that went inside the right post at 8:36.
Dawson Mercer tied it 2-2 with a deflection on the power play at 19:47. Luke Hughes took the initial shot pass from the point.
Jack Hughes gave New Jersey a 3-2 lead on the man-advantage at 15:52 of the second period, converting on a slap shot from the point.
Cuylle made it 3-3 just 1:01 later. He scored at 16:53 with a tip of Braden Schneider’s slap shot from the point.
