A legit superstar was born on Saturday afternoon in Newark.
With a split crowd in a rivalry game that saw the Devils desperately trying to hold off the rising Rangers in the Metropolitan Division standings, Jack Hughes continued his torrid stretch with two goals, the latter a game-tying blast midway through the third period to force overtime in an eventual 4-3 victory for New Jersey.
Hughes said after the game that he wasn’t aware of the rival Blueshirts needing a regulation win to leapfrog the Devils for second place in the division, but he ensured it wouldn’t happen regardless, thanks to another star performance on a big stage and a showcase game for the NHL.
It was an opportunity for the rest of the hockey world to see the emergence of the league’s next superstar.
“It’s been a lot of fun watching and playing with him,” Jesper Bratt said after the game. “He’s been unbelievable. He’s taking bigger and bigger steps every game…it’s just gonna get better and better.”
Hughes may not have known the standings heading into Saturday’s game, but he knows all about the tear he has been on of late.
“I knew that, yeah,” Hughes laughed when asked if he was aware that he now has eight goals in the last five games. He also has a ridiculous 19 goals in his last 20 contests.
Hockey fans outside New Jersey may not have known, but many do now. Hughes, with his team trailing 2-0 in the second period, lingered around center ice and picked off a pass from Barclay Goodrow, who was trying to send the puck back to his defensemen in the Rangers zone. Instead, Hughes grabbed the interception, split the two defenders and beat a red-hot Igor Shesterkin to get the Devils on the board.
After the Blueshirts reclaimed a 3-1 lead, Bratt brought New Jersey back within one with a one-timer from Nico Hischier, a power play goal in the third, and minutes later, Hughes threaded the needle with a pass to Ryan Graves at the point, and Graves’ shot deflected right to Hughes, who buried the equalizer for his third two-goal game in the last week. It was also Hughes’ 26th of the season, already matching his career high.
Hughes’ dramatic goal gave The Rock the feel of a true home game, as Devils fans roared for their emerging superstar. That couldn’t be said for the majority of the game, as a relatively split crowd battled back and forth for much of the contest.
Hughes responded by clutching the Devils logo on his sweater, showing it off to the crowd as the goal horn sounded.
“Pretty split crowd tonight, you know?” Hughes said. “We enjoy that. It’s a crazy rivalry. It’s pretty special how there’s a ton of Rangers fans there and a ton of Devils fans. There was one shift after we tied it up and the crowd was just screaming. You didn’t even know what they were saying. That was just a ‘represent New Jersey’ kind of statement.”
It was a statement indeed for the Devils, who finally grabbed a home victory before hitting the road, nullifying a sparkling performance by Igor Shesterkin, who logged 39 saves on the day.
But the Devils finally broke through in the second period when Damon Severson broke out on a 2-on-1, kept it himself, and ripped a shot through Shesterkin to grab two critical points and keep the Rangers in third place.
“We’re really happy for him,” Hughes said. “That isn’t just a normal goal. That’s a massive goal for us.”
Hughes also isn’t just a normal All-Star. Sure, he was just named to the team for the second time in his young career, but the 21-year-old has now lifted himself among the elite in the NHL. He just may be the top forward in his division. He just might be the brightest young star in the league. It just may have taken another dominant performance in a rivalry game for the rest of the world to see.
“It’s been good,” Hughes said. “Obviously the team’s been taking a lot of steps, and personally I’ve been taking steps. It’s all part of the journey, and I feel like we’re in a good spot right now.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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