Newark, NJ—–NJ Devils Nico Hischier recorded his first career NHL hat trick, leading the New Jersey Devils to a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators at Prudential Center in Newark on Monday night.
Hischier, who had gone 10 games without scoring, found the back of the net three times in the second period, completing a natural hat trick to give the Devils a commanding 4-1 lead.
“It feels good,” said Hischier, the Devils’ captain. “I’ve had a couple of two-goal games before, but this one was special. The last one somehow found its way in, and I can’t quite explain it. We always have a plan going into each game, and if we execute it, we put ourselves in a good position to win. The strategy changes depending on who we’re facing.”
Erik Haula and Justin Dowling also added goals for New Jersey (15-7-2), who extended their winning streak to three games and have now won eight of their last 10. Johnathan Kovacevic chipped in with two assists, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 19 saves to secure the win.
Filip Forsberg and Zachary L’Heureux scored for Nashville (7-12-3), while Juuse Saros was pulled after allowing four goals on 30 shots through two periods. In relief, Scott Wedgewood stopped all 15 shots he faced.
L’Heureux left the game at 12:17 of the third period after taking a cross-check to the face from Devils forward Timo Meier, who was assessed a five-minute major penalty.
The Predators were unable to capitalize on the power play, recording just one shot on goal. Dowling sealed the game with an empty-net goal at 17:25, just eight seconds after the penalty expired, making the final score 5-2.
New Jersey head coach Sheldon Keefe praised his team’s defensive effort during the penalty kill: “It was outstanding. Obviously, I didn’t like the penalty, but the guys stepped up and did a great job. We weren’t scrambling, just calm and collected, and we got the job done.”
Nashville captain Roman Josi acknowledged his team’s struggles: “We didn’t play well enough tonight. They were faster, won more battles, and were just the better team for 60 minutes. We had a little push in the third period, but it was too late. We need to be more consistent—we can’t afford to have one good game followed by a bad one.”
The game started with Forsberg giving the Predators an early lead, scoring on their first shot at 5:08 of the first period with a wrist shot from the right boards.
However, New Jersey responded with four unanswered goals. Haula tied the game at 1-1 at 11:29, converting a pass from Kovacevic on a 3-on-2 rush. Hischier then put the Devils ahead 2-1 at 3:52 of the second, skating around Marc Del Gaizo and firing a wrist shot through Saros’ five-hole.
Hischier extended the lead to 3-1 with a power-play goal at 10:01, a wrist shot from the right circle. His third goal came at 16:57 on a breakaway, where he again found the five-hole for a 4-1 advantage.
Hischier now leads the Devils with 13 goals this season.
“Just happy for him,” Haula said of his captain’s achievement. “He’s such an important player for us, and it’s great to see him get his first hat trick. You’d think he had five or six of them with how well he plays.”
L’Heureux pulled one back for Nashville, scoring his second NHL goal with a backhand on a breakaway at 7:39 of the third period, cutting the lead to 4-2. The 21-year-old rookie, drafted 27th overall in 2021, has impressed his teammates with his energy and determination.
“He’s been fantastic,” Josi said of L’Heureux. “He brings a lot of energy, gets pucks back, and is tough to play against. His goal was really nice, and he’s been great for us overall.”
