Home Sport live NHL Jake Allen makes 24 saves in Devils’ 5-0 victory over Flyers

Jake Allen makes 24 saves in Devils’ 5-0 victory over Flyers

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Jake Allen makes 24 saves in Devils’ 5-0 victory over Flyers

NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils secured a commanding 5-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday evening, thanks in large part to an explosive second-period performance and a strong showing from goaltender Jake Allen, who recorded 24 saves.

During a remarkable 13-minute stretch in the second period, Ondrej Palat, Luke Hughes, Nathan Bastian, and Dawson Mercer each found the back of the net, helping New Jersey to its third win in four games. Jack Hughes added another goal early in the third period, marking his 20th goal this season.

This game marked a notable achievement for Allen, as he achieved his third shutout of the season and the 27th of his professional career. The Devils’ regular starter, Jacob Markstrom, is sidelined for four to six weeks due to a knee injury he sustained in a game against Boston on January 22.

Palat ignited the scoring for New Jersey, netting a power-play goal just 54 seconds into the second period. Luke Hughes followed suit at the 6:27 mark, increasing the lead to 2-0. Bastian later contributed with another power-play goal at 12:41, and Mercer capped off the offensive barrage at 13:43. Timo Meier, Brett Pesce, and Jesper Bratt were instrumental as well, each registering two assists during the game.

In response to Mercer’s goal, Flyers coach John Tortorella opted to pull starter Samuel Ersson in favor of Ivan Fedotov. This decision came after Ersson managed to save just 12 shots.

Jack Hughes continued to shine, making it a 5-0 game just 1:58 into the third period. He assisted on Palat’s earlier goal and is leading the Devils with 60 points this season.

Notably, the Devils captain Nico Hischier was absent for the second consecutive game following a midsection cross-check by Montreal’s Nick Suzuki last Saturday.

For the Flyers, this defeat marks a setback in their performance on the road, bringing them to 11-12-5 away from home. Philadelphia has struggled lately, with a record of 2-5-2 in their last nine road games. The Devils improved their season record to 15-8-4 on home ice, demonstrating an impressive 8-2-1 record at the Prudential Center since December 12.

The key moment of the game came when Palat scored early in the second period, shifting the momentum firmly in the Devils’ favor after a goalless first period.

A notable statistic from the game is that Bratt now has 58 points in just 53 games—a significant increase from his career-high of 83 points last season.

Looking ahead, the Flyers are set to host the New York Islanders on Thursday, while the Devils will compete against the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.