NEWARK, N.J. — Jesper Bratt scored one goal and contributed two assists, while Luke Hughes added a goal and an assist, leading the New Jersey Devils to a 5-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
The win marked New Jersey’s second consecutive triumph following a series of losses in four out of five games. Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Paul Cotter also found the net for the Devils. Cody Glass stood out with two assists, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves.
Columbus, which has now suffered defeats in three of its last four games, saw two goals from Mathieu Olivier, with Kirill Marchenko adding one. Their goaltender, Elvis Merzlikins, recorded 22 saves on the night.
New Jersey started strong with a trio of goals in the first period from Hischier, Cotter, and Bratt. Columbus responded in the second period, as Olivier and Marchenko scored within a span of four minutes, narrowing the deficit to one goal.
However, Meier extended the Devils’ lead to 4-2 with just over three minutes remaining in the second period. Hughes further solidified New Jersey’s advantage by scoring just 26 seconds into the third period. Olivier’s second goal of the night cut the Devils’ lead to 5-3 midway through the final period.
Takeaways from the game show that the Blue Jackets, despite the loss, maintain their hold on the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, staying just ahead of five other teams within a close five-point range. Meanwhile, the Devils continue to hold a three-point lead over Ottawa for third place in the Eastern Conference standings.
A key moment came when the Devils had their lead reduced to a single goal in the second period. Meier intercepted a pass from Dante Fabbro, initiating a counterattack. Taking the puck up the right side into the Blue Jackets’ zone, Meier unleashed a shot that beat Merzlikins, restoring a two-goal margin for New Jersey just before the end of the second period.
A notable statistic: Hischier has scored three times in his last six games, bringing his season total to 27 goals, which equals his total from the previous season and leaves him just four goals shy of matching his career-best mark set during the 2022-23 season.
Looking ahead, the Blue Jackets are set to host the Vegas team on Thursday, while the Devils will welcome Edmonton to their home ground.
