Newark, N.J. — Timo Meier delivered the game-winning goal less than a minute into the third period, propelling the New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Friday night.
Jesper Bratt celebrated his 500th career game with a goal and an assist, while Luke Hughes notched his first goal of the season. Jack Hughes contributed two assists as the Devils secured their sixth win in eight games. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom turned aside 17 shots to backstop the victory.
Seattle saw its two-game winning streak snapped, losing for the fourth time in six contests. Shane Wright and Andre Burakovsky provided the offense for the Kraken, and Philipp Grubauer made a season-best 34 saves in a valiant effort.
Meier struck just 53 seconds into the final frame, capitalizing on a rebound for his ninth goal of the season and the 200th of his NHL career.
The Kraken opened the scoring midway through the first period when Burakovsky tallied his 10th goal in 22 career games against New Jersey. Luke Hughes responded a little over two minutes later to even the score.
In the second period, Wright gave Seattle a 2-1 advantage with a power-play goal at 3:41, but Bratt tied it back up at 8:03 with his 13th of the season, setting the stage for Meier’s decisive goal in the third.
Takeaways:
Devils:
Jack Hughes remained red-hot, extending his point streak to four games, during which he has amassed 10 points. Combined, Hughes (11 goals, 24 assists) and Bratt (13 goals, 25 assists) have racked up an impressive 72 points this season.
Kraken:
Seattle continues to struggle with consistency, dropping six of its last nine games.
Key Moment:
New Jersey’s penalty kill was crucial midway through the third period, limiting Seattle to just one shot on a power play and preserving the one-goal lead.
Notable Stat Of The Game:
Jesper Bratt became only the fifth player in Devils franchise history to record multiple points in his 500th career game, joining Zach Parise, Jason Arnott, Scott Niedermayer, and Patrik Sundstrom.
What’s Next
The Kraken will conclude their four-game road trip against the New York Rangers on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Devils are set to host the Colorado Avalanche in their next matchup.
