The Devils kept their momentum going when they faced the Rangers on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, securing their third straight win while handing the Rangers their second consecutive loss. Jack Hughes and Connor Brown each logged a three-point night: one goal and a pair of assists. Timo Meier, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Arseny Gritsyuk all found the back of the net to help lead the Devils to a 6-3 victory. Conor Sheary, Mika Zibanejad, and Vladislav Gavrikov each scored for New York. The Devils continue their five-game road trip, heading to Washington on Friday, while the Rangers will be in Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets on Thursday.

New Jersey Devils Lineup:

Meier – Hischier – Mercer
Bratt – J. Hughes – Brown
Gritsyuk – Glass – Hameenaho
Cotter – Bjugstad – Tsyplakov

Siegenthaler – Hamilton
L. Hughes – Kovacevic
Dillon – Nemec

Markstrom
Allen

New York Rangers Lineup:

Perreault – Zibanejad – Lafrenière
Cuylle – Trocheck – Miller
Kartye – Laba – Sheary
Raddysh – Edstrom – Chmelar

Gavrikov – Fox
Robertson – Schneider
Vaakanainen – Borgen

Quick
Shesterkin

Opening the scoring late in the first period, Vladislav Gavrikov gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead with 4:40 on the clock, scoring his 14th goal of the season. Alexis Lafreniere’s shot missed and hit the end boards, and he picked up the puck again after it popped out to the right wall, where he sent a pass to Gavrikov, who skated in and fired on a snap shot through a heavy screen from the point. Nico Hischier tied it 1-1 at 3:46, answering with a power-play goal before Arseny Gritsyuk put New Jersey ahead 2-1 with just 44 seconds remaining in the first off a snap shot from the left face-off circle. Hischier scored his 24th of the season, and Gritsyuk recorded his 13th.

Mika Zibanejad took a pass from Gabe Perreault, who stripped Dougie Hamilton of the puck in the defensive zone before handing it over to Zibanejad for a 1-on-1 with Jacob Markstrom, beating him glove side just 19 seconds into the second period to tie it back up 2-2. This was Zibanejad’s 28th goal of the season. At 8:24, Connor Brown took back the lead for the Devils 3-2 after Hischier sent the puck from the right side of the net to circle around to the left, where Jack Hughes picked it up, passed it back to Hischier, who gave it right back, and Brown finished a pass from Hughes in the slot on the power play.

Timo Meier pushed it to 4-2 at 13:31 of the third frame when he collected the rebound of Paul Cotter’s shot, spun in the right circle, and swept it in past Jonathan Quick for his 19th goal of the season. At 10:19, Conor Sheary pulled the Rangers within 4-3 when Matthew Robertson took a pass from J.T. Miller, fired, and was denied by Markstrom before Sheary slapped it in from inside the blue line, scoring his third of the season. J. Hughes passed back and forth with Simon Nemec before skating into the top of the left circle, receiving the puck from Nemec, and firing it home on a wrist shot to make it 5-3 for his 18th of the season. Jesper Bratt finished it up to help secure the 6-3 final with 3:38 to go in the third period, scoring on a snap shot from the left circle.

Game Notes:

– Jacob Markstrom made a total of 15 saves for New Jersey, and Jonathan Quick made 33 saves for New York.

– Jack Hughes has recorded points in 14 consecutive games against the Rangers dating back to March 22, 2022. During that stretch, he’s recorded 28 points (17 goals, 11 assists). Sidney Crosby is the only player over the last 20 years to have a similar streak against the franchise: 16 GP from 2008-09 to 2012-13. …Hughes (1-1–2) also recorded his 116th career multi-point game, surpassing Travis Zajac for the sixth most in Devils/Rockies/Scouts history.

– In 25 career games against the Rangers, Jack Hughes has 35 points (20 goals, 15 assists). 

– Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier each had a two-point night, recording both a goal and an assist.

– Hischier scored his 195th career goal, surpassing Zach Parise (194) for fifth most in Devils/Rockies/Scouts history. He also factored on Connor Brown’s goal, recording his 111th career multi-point game, and tying Aaron Broten for eighth most in Devils/Rockies/Scouts history.

– With his assist, Bratt recorded the 335th assist of his career. He ties Kirk Muller for the seventh most in Devils/Rockies/Scouts history. …His two points gives him 501 points (166 goals, 335 assists) in 620 NHL games. 

– Mika Zibanejad’s game-tying goal is the 105th game-tying goal he has factored on with the Rangers, which moves him past both Artemi Panarin and Walt Tkaczuk for seventh most in franchise history. Brian Leetch (196) tops the list.

– With his goal for New York, Vladislav Gavrikov ties both Barry Beck (14 in 1979-80) and Mike McEwan (14 in 1976-77) for third-most goals by a defenseman in his first season with NYR. Carol Vadnais (20 in 1975-76) and Reijo Ruotsalainen (18 in 1981-82) are the only others with more.

– NJ: 35-31-2, and in their past nine games: 7-2-0.

– NYR: 28-32-8, and they have lost two straight after a four-game win streak.

– Urho Vaakanainen (upper body) didn’t return after the first period, and Noah Laba (lower body) didn’t return after the second period.

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