NEWARK, N.J. — In an impressive display, Dawson Mercer netted two goals during a dominant second period as the New Jersey Devils triumphed over the Boston Bruins with a score of 5-1 on Wednesday night.
Nico Hischier contributed significantly with a goal and two assists, while Dougie Hamilton added a goal and an assist. Stefan Noesen also found the back of the net, and Timo Meier recorded two assists, providing the necessary support that snapped the Devils’ four-game losing streak. Jacob Markstrom started for Boston but made only six saves before exiting early in the second period following a collision. Jake Allen took over and successfully blocked all 16 shots directed at him during his time in net.
Boston managed to get on the scoreboard first with a goal from Morgan Geekie at 5:50 of the opening period. However, Mercer leveled the game just a minute and 24 seconds into the second.
Markstrom’s exit from the game came after a collision with Boston’s Justin Brazeau in the crease at 3:09. Following that, Hamilton scored a power-play goal at 4:12, and soon after, Noesen added another power-play goal with just under four minutes remaining in the second period to mark his 18th goal of the season. Mercer then scored his second goal of the night just 12 seconds later, driving the score to 4-1.
Hischier capped off the night with his team-leading 23rd goal, securing the Devils’ third power-play goal of the contest with 6:28 left in the third period.
Before the game commenced, the Devils paid tribute to former head coach Jacques Lemaire, who led the team to its inaugural Stanley Cup victory in 1995, by officially inducting him into the team’s Ring of Honor.
Takeaways from the game include Boston’s struggles, having lost eight of their last eleven matches, while New Jersey notched just their third win of the month (3-4-3), enhancing their home record to 14-8-2 this season.
A pivotal moment in the match occurred when Allen made crucial back-to-back saves with the Bruins on a short-handed advantage at the nine-minute mark of the third period.
In terms of individual performance, Jack Hughes assisted on Noesen’s goal and currently leads the Devils with a total of 56 points (18 goals, 38 assists).
Looking ahead, the Bruins are set to host the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, while the Devils will be traveling to Montreal on Saturday.
