Career night for Devils’ Jack Hughes powers win over Rangers

Three games into the 2020-21, it appears Jack Hughes has arrived.

After Hughes needed seven games to record his first point as a rookie last season, Hughes has erupted out of the gate to start his second NHL campaign, and a career night fueled a second-straight Devils victory.

Hughes posted his first career two-goal game and finished with three points as the Devils held off the Rangers, 4-3, on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden in New York. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood made a career-high 47 saves.

The 2019 No. 1 overall pick scored two-straight goals to break a 1-1 tie in the first half of the second period. His first goal of the season came when he tapped in a loose puck in the crease at 4:13 following a shot from Ty Smith.

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Hughes then blocked a Rangers shot in the defensive zone to spring himself on a breakaway, and he slipped a backhander under Rangers goalie Alexandar Georgiev at 8:38.

After Mika Zibanejad pulled the Rangers within 3-2 on a power-play goal at 12:09, Hughes picked up an assist on a Miles Wood power-play goal at 16:00.

Hughes appeared to pick up a fourth point when P.K. Subban scored on a point shot late in the second period. But a Rangers challenge for offside overturned the Devils’ potential fifth goal.

The Rangers cut the lead to 4-3 at 7:00 of the third period when Filip Chytil beat Blackwood, marking the first even-strength goal allowed by the Devils this season.

The Devils played with fire for the remainder of the game, fending off wave after wave of shots by the Rangers. The killed off three penalties in the third period, including one in the final three minutes.

The Devils opened the scoring in the first period when Travis Zajac knocked in a Wood rebound just 32 seconds into the game. Chris Kreider tied the game at 1-1 when he banked a puck off the skates of Devils defenseman Ryan Murray and under Blackwood at 2:50 of the second period.

Miles Wood and Ty Smith keep cooking

Hughes isn’t the only player off to a hot start this season.

Wood scored for a third straight game to open the new campaign, which also gave the Devils their first power-play goal of the season.

Smith picked up an assist on the first goal by Hughes, giving him points in three straight games to start his NHL career.

Next up

The Devils will finish their brief road swing when they travel to play the New York Islanders at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

They will return home to host the Islanders at 7 p.m. on Sunday at Prudential Center in Newark.

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