Nico Hischier scored on a breakaway 32 seconds into the game, netted his second goal early in the third period and notched three points as the host New Jersey Devils never trailed in a 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday in the “Stadium Series” at East Rutherford, N.J.
In front of 70,328 fans sitting in frigid temperatures at MetLife Stadium, the Devils won the NHL’s 40th outdoor regular-season game thanks to Hischier’s 13th career multi-goal game.
Hischier’s first tally was the second-fastest goal to start an outdoor game — 11 seconds behind Colby Armstrong for Pittsburgh against Buffalo in the 2008 Winter Classic. Hischier added his second goal 2:48 into the third.
Tyler Toffoli also scored in the first while Brendan Smith and Nathan Bastian tallied 72 seconds apart late in the second as the Devils won for the third time in four games. Bastian added an empty-netter with 1:45 left.
Owen Tippett scored twice in the second and got his seventh career multi-goal game for the Flyers, who saw a modest five-game points streak stopped. Nick Seeler also scored and Travis Konecny collected two assists.
In the first rookie goaltending matchup in an outdoor game, New Jersey’s Nico Daws made a career-best 45 saves.
Philadelphia’s Samuel Ersson allowed five goals on 39 shots.
After Cam York’s clearing attempt deep in the defensive zone banked off an official’s skate, Ondrej Palat chipped the puck to Hischier. He sped up ice, moved past Sean Couturier and slipped a backhander under Ersson’s pads.
Toffoli won a faceoff on the left side from Morgan Frost and immediately headed to the net uncovered. After Smith’s point shot went off Ersson’s pad, Toffoli swooped in for the rebound into the vacated left side of the net with 6:30 left.
Tippett scored his first goal of the game with 12:17 left in the second after the Devils could not clear the zone. He lifted a shot from the middle of the slot between the circles over Daws’ right shoulder.
Smith made it 3-1 by backhanding a rebound by Ersson after Palat’s point shot was not controlled with 3:24 left. Bastian sent a shot from the left circle into the net after easily cutting through the middle of the ice for a 4-1 lead.
Tippett scored his second goal from the middle of the slot by sending Konecny’s pass from behind the red line over Daws’ glove with 97 seconds left. Hischier put New Jersey up 5-2 with a shot from the middle of the slot, and defenseman Seeler sent a one-timer past a screened Daws with 10:53 left for his first goal this season, ending a 68-game drought.
–Field Level Media
