If Jack Hughes was considered by many to be a Ranger killer heading into Monday’s Festivus matinee in Newark, he just added to his growing body count.
The Devils star balled out at 5-on-5 and special teams, notching another two goals and an assist to add to his career points tally against the Blueshirts to send New Jersey to a 5-0 win heading into the holiday break. The big day for Hughes was his second two-goal performance against the Blueshirts in as many games this season, and increased his career total to 15 goals in 22 games against New Jersey’s hated rival.
“I get fired up for these matchups,” Hughes said on the ice after the game. “It’s a great rivalry. I’m glad we’re up 2-0 on the season, and we’re looking to keep it going.”
The second edition of the Hudson River Rivalry this season featured many of the familiar sights, from Hughes lighting the lamp to several fights and penalties that began just moments into the game.
Matt Rempe, facing an eight-game suspension, wasn’t on the ice for Monday’s matinee, but that didn’t stop the rivals from dropping the gloves, as Paul Cotter and Vincent Trocheck traded blows in front of the Rangers bench just four minutes into the first period after Trocheck delivered a hit to Cotter in the corner.
Just seconds after Cotter and Trocheck were sent to the box, New Jersey grabbed the early lead courtesy of Hughes, who continued his ownership of the Blueshirts by burying a wrist shot under Jonathan Quick’s blocker from outside the left faceoff circle on a pass from Jesper Bratt off the rush to give the Devils the 1-0 edge.
The early tally was Hughes’ 14th of the season, and 14th of his career against the Rangers. The goal upped his point total to 24 in 22 career games against New York.
The Festivus airing of grievances continued shortly after Hughes’ goal, as a massive scrum behind the Devils net resulted in Timo Meier and Artemi Panarin going off for roughing penalties. Stefan Noesen was also whistled for a hooking call, but the Devils killed off the two minute minor and nearly picked up a shorthanded goal thanks to the Bratt/Hughes combo, which nearly connected on a 2-on-1 break, but the pass from Bratt floated just past Hughes.
The fisticuffs continued in the final minute of the first after more than seven consecutive minutes without a whistle, as Brenden Dillon and Sam Carrick tangled up for an extended fight that resulted in five minute fighting majors apiece, ending an eventful first period with some holiday fireworks.
The second period continued with more fireworks, as the Devils went shorthanded in the opening minute after a crosscheck by Dawson Mercer, and Bratt was denied on a breakaway chance by Jonathan Quick. New Jersey found itself on the man advantage moments after killing off its own penalty, and after buzzing for the majority of the power play, doubled its lead with just seconds to go on the too many men penalty as Mercer, fresh out of the penalty box, finessed a backhand pass through the slot to Timo Meier, who fired the puck home into the open net to make it 2-0 with 15:20 to go in the middle frame.
The disorganized Rangers went on the kill again midway through the second for another too many men penalty, and the Devils again made them pay, as Hughes furthered his New York ownership after taking a centering feed inside the left circle from his brother Luke and buried the easy wrister to give New Jersey a commanding lead.
It was the fifth power play goal of the year for Hughes, whose legend of being a Ranger killer only grew with another multi-goal game.
The Devils put an exclamation point on the blowout win eight minutes into the third after Timo Meier broke out into the Rangers zone, slammed on the brakes behind the net in the right corner, and began a tic-tac-toe with Nico Hischier and Noesen, ending with Noesen tapping the puck into a wide-open net to make it 4-0 New Jersey.
“They played as close to a perfect game as you can ask for from a coaching perspective,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said.
Fittingly, to get the crowd amped up again midway through the third, Devils staff showed the video footage on the big screen above the ice of Rangers fans cheering Hughes being selected first overall by the Devils at the draft inside Madison Square Garden, then cut to a grinning Hughes on the New Jersey bench.
Hughes playfully denied the ear-to-ear grin when asked about it after the game, “unless the camera caught me.”