The New Jersey Devils begin a three-game road swing through western Canada on Wednesday night when they face the Vancouver Canucks.
The Devils, who entered Tuesday’s action with a one-point lead in the Metropolitan Division, also play at Calgary on Friday before ending the trip in Edmonton on Monday.
New Jersey picked up some needed momentum before departing for the long trip be defeating the Anaheim Ducks, 6-2, on Sunday in Newark, N.J., to snap a four-game losing (0-2-2) streak.
Stefan Noesen scored twice to highlight a four-goal second period. Jack Hughes, Paul Cotter, Nico Hischier and Erik Haula also scored while Jacob Markstrom stopped 24 of 26 shots. It was Hischier’s league-leading ninth goal of the season.
“Yeah, it was important,” coach Sheldon Keefe said of snapping the losing streak before departing on the trip. “We’re not happy with our results in this building in particular. Going away on what’s going to be a tough road trip for us we wanted to make sure we got the points here and leave feeling good.”
“Obviously, when you win a hockey game on the road or at home it feels good,” added Dawson Mercer, who had two assists. “To come away with two points here for us as a group and now have a travel day to begin our road trip, it’s definitely a good feeling for us.”
The trip opener is also one star forward Jack and young defenseman Luke Hughes are looking forward to as they will face older brother Quinn, the Vancouver star defenseman, in the latest round of “The Hughes Bowl.”
Quinn and Jack have faced off seven times with New Jersey holding a 6-1-0 edge. Luke, a rookie last season, is 1-1-0 against the Canucks.
“I know they have a really good team over there and I’m really excited,” Jack Hughes told NHL.com. “I think this year it’s less about the three of us … like the Hughes Bowl. I think we can go there, enjoy our time, and spend some of it with Quinn and our parents.”
Vancouver is coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to visiting Carolina on Monday, a contest that saw Quinn Hughes, the 2024 Norris Trophy winner, score his second goal of the season during a third-period comeback from a 3-1 deficit to force OT. Pius Suter tied it at 3 with 3:05 remaining before Sebastian Aho scored the game-winner 47 seconds into overtime.
“I think the last 10 minutes were great but before that … I don’t think we were ready to play,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. “Carolina was. We had a lot of guys early on not moving their feet, not winning battles. Then we decided to do those things and we made a game of it. So take the positive out of it, getting the point, but I think it’s a lesson to be learned.”
The Devils will be without Curtis Lazar (lower-body injury), who was injured on a hip check by Anaheim’s Radko Gudas on Sunday. Justin Dowling was recalled from AHL Utica on Tuesday to take Lazar’s spot.
–Field Level Media