Jack Hughes Scores 2 And Damon Severson the OT Hero As Devils Come Back to Defeat Rangers in Overtime

1st Period

The Rangers struck early. Just 1:44 in the Vesey faked a shot to get around a flatfooted Smith and scored.

Shesterkin made a save on Palat and then Hischier as well.

Wood came down the left side with speed, grabbed the puck from Fox, and took a shot that was saved by Shesterkin.

Bratt centered for Hischier and Shesterkin made the save.

Smith turned it over to Chytil and Okhotiuk deflected his shot away.

Shots are 10-3 Devils

Hamilton came down the middle ahead of his teammates but he couldn’t get a shot off.

The Rangers almost had a 2 on 1 after deflecting a pass but Smith and Okhotiuk recovered and the pass missed. Haula got the puck and took a long shot on goal for a faceoff.

Sharangovich won the next draw in the Rangers zone and Okhotiuk kept the puck in with a hit (A Devil hit somebody to win the puck!) but the Rangers got it out on their next try.

Hischier poked a loose puck past Zibanejad to start a 3 on 2. Bratt tried to pass across for Palat but it missed. The Devils kept possession and got a shot off that Shesterkin saved.

Miles Wood tried to give himself a shot alone but as he got past the Ranger the puck slid too far away from him. Schneider pushed Wood right into Shesterkin, knocking him over.

Shots are 15-5 Devils

The McLeod line had some sustained offensive pressure and Schneider took a penalty for interference, getting a bit too aggressive trying to push Wood around near the net.

On the power play a point shot from Hamilton bounced around in front and it bounced around Hischier and Tatar’s sticks before Bratt got a shot off that Shesterkin made a pad save on. Hughes then got taken down by Fox. 5 on 3 for the Devils. Zibanejad won the faceoff. Holtz is behind the net for some reason and the Devils are playing like it’s a 3 on 2 rather than a 5 on 3. Down to 22 seconds when Bratt took a one timer. Looked like it might’ve been going wide but Shesterkin gloved it anyway. Goodrow cleared the puck off the faceoff. Next two shots went off. Down to 20 seconds of power play. Shesterkin kicked away a Hughes shot. Slow puck movement the next few seconds, and Fox is out of the box. Huge missed opportunity by the Devils.

2nd Period

Bratt and Palat one touched to each after a zone entry and Shesterkin gloved it.

The next zone entry had more quick passing with the Hughes line and Shesterkin made a pad save on his shot.

Fox carried the puck in and dropped it to Gauthier. The puck bounced through the crease and Gauthier put it in. 2-0 Rangers.

A rebound came to Hughes alone in front of the net and Shesterkin somehow got his blocker in the right spot. 22 saves for him.

Wood cross-checked Schneider in the neutral zone for an interference penalty. Rangers to the power play.

Vanecek made a save on Trocheck and Haula cleared. Rangers were offside on the re-entry. Once the Rangers got set up again Fox set up Zibanejad for a one timer. It went high, wide, and out of the zone. The Devils killed off the rest of the penalty.

Hughes got the puck in the corner and centered for Tatar all alone in the slot and Shesterkin made the save. 26 shots, 26 saves.

Hughes and Holtz had a 2 on 1. Guess what happened. Yup, Shesterkin stopped them.

A Ranger passed right to Jack Hughes who went up the middle and finally scored the Devils first goal of the game, his 18th goal in his last 20 games.

Bratt and Palat had another 2 on 1. I thought Bratt could’ve shot it but he passed to Palat who only managed to take a low shot that Shesterkin got the pads down on.

Another 2 on 1 for Wood and Mercer but Trouba blocked Wood’s pass. Keep the defensive lapses coming please.

Holtz sent it through a Ranger to Boqvist and he and Sharangovich were 2 on 1 with little space, and Miller blocked Boqvist’s shot.

The Rangers had a long cycling shift. They didn’t have any chances, until the puck came to Miller down low. His shot was saved by Vanecek but the rebound came right to Kreider. 3-1 Rangers.

Wood took a shot from the left circle that Shesterkin gloved.

Hughes’s 8th shot of the game went off the post.

Tatar tried to steal the puck from Lindgren in front of the Rangers net but Shesterkin covered it up.

Smith walked in and passed to Sharangovich but it bounced off his skate and then over his stick in the slot.

The Devils won the faceoff but Hughes gave it away. Okhotiuk tried to clear the the puck around in his own zone but Panarin was there and centered for Trocheck, and Vanecek had to make a good save.

Hamilton tried to forecheck but the Rangers got a 3 on 2 and Vanecek made the save on Gauthier.

Hischier got the puck and carried it in, but fell down trying to spin around.

3rd Period

McLeod threw it across to Wood. It went off his shin pad and off Shesterkin’s pad.

Kreider got it to Kakko who pushed past Severson and tried to poke it through Vanecek, but he stopped it.

Ruff has changed the lines a bit here. Now it’s Palat-Hischier-Tatar Haula-Hughes-Bratt as the top 2 lines.

Siegenthaler passed it right to a Kravtsov after the puck came out of the zone. Panarin got past him and received a pass but fortunately he shot it high.

Hamilton got called for a hook on Trocheck. Devils to the PK. They cleared off the draw. Graves blocked a Fox blast and Haula cleared. Siegenthaler slipped it ahead to Shesterkin, who tried to clear. Hischier was there and it bounced off his leg but he didn’t have space and Shesterkin was able to recover. McLeod won the faceoff and Severson took a slapshot off the mask of Shesterkin.

Just after the Rangers power play ended, Hughes was slashed by Kakko for a Devils power play. Hischier got the puck from behind the goal line and set up Bratt for a one time bomb up and over Shesterkin’s right shoulder. It was off the back bar and out so quick the light didn’t even go off. Devils within 1.

Mercer went one on one with Schneider, who blocked his shot out of play.

Graves took a point shot off the faceoff. It bounced right to Hughes who tied the game! There was a great behind the net camera angle where you could see the play developing.

Siegenthaler had his stick knocked out of his hands by Trocheck. Power play Devils. Bratt’s chance was turned aside and Tatar’s was blocked. Hamilton’s shot was blocked by Zibanejad who cleared the puck with his hand. Hischier ripped a shot blocked by Fox. He got it again and tried to give it to Tatar but it was between his skates. 2nd unit out now. The Rangers had a 2 on 1 / 3 on 2. Zibanejad shot it high with Severson going down to block any pass attempt. Fox blasted one off the faceoff and Vanecek made the save. A stretch to Sharangovich from Mercer just missed with Yegor behind Lindgren. Vanecek made a split save on Miller. The Devils went the other way but were canceled out. Vanecek made another kick save on Panarin. Boqvist and Haula went 2 on 2 and Shesterkin knocked Boqvist’s shot out of play.

Haula and Tatar had a 2 on 1 but Miller got back to prevent the pass from connecting.

Chytil had a takeaway. Vanecek made a save on Lafrieniere. The puck bounced back at him and Vanecek gloved the flying puck. Some very exciting hockey the last 10 minutes. Feels like a playoff game.

Haula caught the Rangers flatfooted and cut in alone but Shesterkin poked it away at the last second. The final 30 seconds ticked away, and we are headed to overtime in Newark.

Overtime

The Rangers got the puck off the faceoff. Hughes, Haula, and Hischier on first. Zibanejad got past the Devils with a burst of speed and ripped a shot wide. The Devils got the puck. Hischier and Bratt out now. Hamilton then off for Severson. The Devils skated around the Rangers zone. Hischier shot it and Shesterkin got a piece. Bratt kicked it into the corner but the Rangers recovered the puck. Panarin had a chance the other way and Vanecek fought off his wrister. McLeod won the draw. Hughes and Hamilton back out. McLeod off for Sharangovich. Hamilton tried to pass for a cutting Sharangovich but it got past him. Schneider was first to the loose puck. Fox stripped by Hischier in the Devils zone. Hughes went in alone on the left side and Shesterkin denied him. Severson poked the puck away as Lafreniere tried to pass to Chytil. Lafreniere then smashed into Sharangovich and they both went flying, knocking them out of the play. Severson and Hischier had a 2 on 1 with Fox the man back. Severson looked across to Nico, then turned towards goal and fired a wrister past Shesterkin for the win! The 8 game home losing streak is history! Best game of the season, hands down.

The 8 Game Home Losing Streak is Over

The Devils hadn’t fared well at home over the last stretch, but they got a win at home today, and a big win. It seems like the Devils never play well at home, but losing 8 home games in a row is not a recipe for success. Hopefully the Devils will play with more confidence at home and be able to get some more wins at the rock.

Big Comeback

The Devils were down 2 goals in the 3rd and came back to win it. That shows fight. It’s also a win over a division rival. Since the Rangers got to overtime it only increases the Devils’ lead by 1 point but if it had gone the other way in OT, they would be tied 52-52. Also, 2 goals were scored by somebody not named Jack Hughes for once. Jack still had 2 of his own, of course. 18 in his last 20, I believe. Pretty ridiculous, but he can’t do it alone. Good for Bratt and Severson to get goals.

Your Thoughts

What did you think of the win? This was the best game all season in my opinion. This game could make me taste the playoffs. I need playoff games at the rock this year after seeing this one. I thought Okhotiuk was solid in this game, as one last thought. I wasn’t focusing on him but I didn’t notice any bad turnovers or blunders from him. Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thank you for reading.