Hughes also had an assist, and Nico Hischier and Arseny Gritsyuk scored for the Devils (21-17-2), who had lost their past four (0-3-1), including 4-0 at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. Jake Allen made 34 saves.
Mason Marchment and Charlie Coyle scored for the Blue Jackets (17-16-6), who had a three-game winning streak end. Jet Greaves made 30 saves.
The Devils scored three goals in the first 4:45 of the third period to get back into the game.
Hischier cut the deficit to 2-1 at 2:49 of the third while on a power play when he set up in the slot and deflected a point shot from Hughes.
Gritsyuk tied it 2-2 just 55 seconds later at 3:44, taking a pass from Timo Meier and burying a wrist shot from above the right face-off circle.
Hughes gave New Jersey a 3-2 lead at 4:45. Connor Brown won a puck battle in the right corner and fed a backhand pass to Hughes, who beat Greaves with a wrist shot from the edge of the left circle.
Marchment made it 1-0 at 6:18 of the first period, lifting a rebound off a Kirill Marchenko shot past Allen from in front.
Marchment has six points (four goals, two assists) in a five-game streak with the Blue Jackets since being acquired in a trade from the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 19, where he had 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 29 games.
Coyle pushed it to 2-0 at 13:41 of the second period. Cole Sillinger sent a slap shot on net that deflected off Boone Jenner to Coyle at the side of the crease. Devils defenseman Colton White pushed Jenner into Allen, and as they both fell Coyle chipped the puck over Allen into the net.