Newark, NJ — Jack Hughes tallied the game-winning goal and added two assists to help the New Jersey Devils snap the Los Angeles Kings’ six-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory on Thursday. Hughes scored his 12th goal of the season with 7:02 remaining in the third period, sending the puck past Kings goalie David Rittich to give the Devils their first lead of the game.
Ondrej Palat and Brett Pesce also found the back of the net for New Jersey, which ended a two-game losing skid. The Kings’ lone goal came from defenseman Jordan Spence, who fired a one-timer past Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom with 3:19 left in the second period. The goal was assisted by New Jersey native Alex Laferriere and Phillip Danault.
Palat responded with just 1:04 remaining in the second period, assisted by Hughes and Jesper Bratt, to tie the game at 1-1. Pesce then scored a short-handed goal — his first as a Devil — with 2:43 left in the game to secure the win for New Jersey.
Markstrom, who improved to 14-6-2 this season, stopped 12 shots, while Rittich finished with 23 saves for the Kings.
Key Moment: A pivotal moment came in the second period when Kings forward Alex Turcotte missed on a penalty shot at 11:01, shooting high and wide.
Key Stat: The Devils improved to 8-6-3 at home, while maintaining a strong 11-4-0 record on the road.
Up Next: The Devils will host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, while the Kings will visit the New York Rangers.
Takeaways:
- Kings: Los Angeles had not allowed more than two goals during its six-game winning streak.
- Devils: Hughes continues his stellar play, ranking second on the team with 38 points, while Bratt leads the Devils with 39 points, including 13 goals.
