Newark, NJ—Paul Cotter and Jesper Bratt delivered in the shootout, leading the New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Monday night, marking their third win in four games.
Luke Hughes and Nico Hischier each scored during regulation for the Devils, who secured their second consecutive win over the Wild after a 5-2 triumph in Minnesota on Saturday. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves in the victory.
For the Wild, Vinnie Hinostroza and Matt Boldy found the back of the net, but Minnesota suffered its fourth loss in the past five games. Filip Gustavsson recorded 26 saves for the Wild. During the shootout, Cotter and Bratt converted on New Jersey’s first two attempts, while Boldy’s shot for Minnesota clanged off the crossbar, sealing the Devils’ win.
Hughes, a 21-year-old defenseman and the younger brother of injured Devils center Jack Hughes, opened the scoring at 7:30 of the first period with his seventh goal of the season. Hinostroza responded for Minnesota, tying the game at 2:57 of the third with his fifth goal.
Hischier put New Jersey ahead 2-1 at 9:12 of the third, scoring his team-leading 34th goal, but Boldy answered with his 25th goal at 17:52 to force overtime.
Takeaways:
- Devils: New Jersey finished March with an 8-8 record in 16 games, reaching the 40-win mark for the second time in three seasons. The Devils are firmly in control of third place in the Metropolitan Division.
- Wild: Minnesota struggled on the road, losing for the fifth time in their last six away games. Despite the rough stretch, they still maintain a strong 22-11-4 record on the road this season.
Key Moment:
In overtime, Markstrom came up with a crucial save on Minnesota’s Jared Spurgeon, keeping the game alive and helping the Devils to secure the win. The 35-year-old goaltender is now 25-14-6 in his first season with New Jersey, as the team improved to 18-13-5 at home.
Up Next:
The Wild will travel to face the New York Rangers on Wednesday, while the Devils will host the Rangers on Saturday at the Prudential Center.
