Jack Hughes Leads Devils to Overtime Win Over Avalanche

NEWARK, N.J. — Jack Hughes scored his second goal of the game at 1:53 of overtime, lifting the New Jersey Devils to a 4-3 victory against the Colorado Avalanche at Prudential Center on Sunday. This win marks the Devils’ eighth consecutive victory.

Hughes collected a turnover in the offensive zone and passed to Simon Nemec in the right circle, where Hughes faked a shot before scoring. ‘It’s a really good play by Nemec to get that puck back… I just had to get a quick shot off there,’ Hughes said.

Nemoc recorded three assists in the match, and Devils goalkeeper Jake Allen made 21 saves. The Devils improved to 8-1-0, making this their longest winning streak since their franchise record of 13 games from October 2022.

The game saw the Devils play with only five defensemen after Brett Pesce sustained an upper-body injury during the first period. This led to increased ice time for Nemec and Luke Hughes, who impressed Coach Sheldon Keefe with their performance under pressure. ‘Luke led the way for us in the third period,’ Keefe said.

The Avalanche tied the game in the third period, with Brock Nelson scoring to force overtime. Colorado has now lost four straight games.

The Devils took an early lead with goals from Arseny Gritsyuk and Hughes in the first period. Colorado responded with goals from Valeri Nichushkin and Nathan MacKinnon, but the Devils regained the lead when Connor Brown scored in the second period. The match crafted an exciting finish as Nelson tied it once again.

Hughes’ winning goal not only secured the victory for New Jersey but also highlighted his position as one of the league’s top players, with eight goals this season. ‘That’s a really good team over there… we had to hold the fort down,’ said Hughes after the match.

The Devils will begin a four-game road trip, while Pesce will not travel with the team. New Jersey is setting a strong pace this season, aiming to improve on their solid start.