Olympic hero Jack Hughes recorded his fourth career hat trick and second this season, lifting the New Jersey Devils to a 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday in Newark, N.J.
Hughes, who also had an assist, scored one of the Devils’ three power-play goals before converting on a breakaway with 3:04 to play in the third period. He completed the hat trick by scoring into an empty net with 32 seconds left.
New Jersey’s Jesper Bratt collected a goal and two assists, and captain Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer also tallied.
Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves for the Devils, who rode a 3-for-3 performance on the power play to their fourth straight win.
New York’s Will Cuylle scored his third goal in two games, defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov tallied in his third consecutive contest and fellow blueliner Will Borgen also found the net.
Jonathan Quick turned aside 29 shots for the Eastern Conference cellar-dwelling Rangers, who have lost 15 of their last 19 games (4-12-3).
Bratt’s shot from the point did not get through, but Hischier alertly settled the puck and wired it past a screened Quick to give New Jersey a 4-3 lead. Hischier’s goal was his team-leading 21st of the season.
Hughes’ blast through traffic gave the Devils a 3-2 lead with 4:08 remaining in the second period before Cuylle forged a tie 61 seconds later after deflecting Braden Schneider’s shot from the point.
Tanner Glass deftly slid a cross-slot saucer pass to the right circle for Bratt, who one-timed a shot past Quick to open the scoring just 66 seconds into the game.
Borgen leveled the contest at 6:26 of the first period after his wrist shot from above the left circle sailed through traffic and past Markstrom.
Gavrikov gave New York a 2-1 lead just 2:10 later after he wired a shot from the point that sailed over the glove of Markstrom.
Mercer extended his stick to deflect defenseman Luke Hughes’ shot from the point to knot it at 2-2 with 13 seconds remaining in the first period.
