NEWARK, N.J. — In a thrilling matchup on Friday night, the New Jersey Devils secured a 4-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, powered by defenseman Luke Hughes, who tallied one goal and one assist. Jacob Markstrom was impressive in goal for the Devils, making 29 saves, as New Jersey extended its winning streak to three games and triumphed in six of their last seven contests.
Other contributing players for the Devils included Ondrej Palat, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer, all of whom found the back of the net as well. In contrast, the Hurricanes struggled defensively, with Eric Robinson and Brent Burns scoring for Carolina. This marked their third loss in four games, as they managed to fire off 31 shots on goal against a Devils team that had previously limited opponents to 20 or fewer shots in their last seven outings.
Robinson struck first at 10:03 in the opening period, nudging the puck past Markstrom, who had recently recorded two consecutive shutouts with only 12 saves in each. The Devils responded when Palat netted a goal at 16:14, followed swiftly by Hischier’s team-leading 18th goal just 42 seconds later, giving New Jersey a 2-1 lead.
Carolina’s comeback began with Burns scoring early in the second period, only 22 seconds in. However, Hughes, who is the younger brother of Devils’ star center Jack Hughes, quickly restored the lead for New Jersey with a goal at 4:15, and Mercer followed up with another goal at 8:47, solidifying their advantage at 4-2.
Pyotr Kochetkov was in net for the Hurricanes, saving 19 shots. Earlier in the week, the Devils had claimed an impressive 5-0 victory against the New York Rangers at home, and prior to that, they defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0 at the Prudential Center. Carolina, on the other hand, suffered a 5-2 defeat to the Nashville Predators just before the holiday break.
Notable points from the game include the Devils’ remarkable record of 17-6-1 since their 3-0 defeat to Calgary on November 1. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes faced a struggle in keeping the puck out of their net, allowing four goals for the second consecutive game after sixth straight games of permitting three or fewer goals.
A pivotal moment of the match was Hischier’s goal occurring shortly after Palat’s equalizer at the end of the first period, which propelled New Jersey forward in momentum.
In terms of performance stats, Markstrom currently holds a record of 19-6-2 in his inaugural season with the Devils.
Looking ahead, the two teams are set to face off again in a home-and-home matchup on Saturday in Carolina.
