Jacob Markstrom saw his two-game shutout streak end, but the goalie made 29 saves for the New Jersey Devils in a 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday in Newark, N.J.
Markstrom, 34, extended his personal win streak to six games and improved to 9-0-1 in his past 10 starts. Luke Hughes recorded a goal and an assist for his third two-point game in his past four contests. Ondrej Palat, Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer also scored.
Hughes was one of five defensemen to record an assist for the Devils, who have won three in a row and six of their past seven.
Brent Burns had a goal and an assist for Carolina. Eric Robinson also scored. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 19 shots for the Hurricanes, who have lost three of their past four.
While the Devils’ seven-game streak of allowing fewer than 20 shots on goal (the longest run in the NHL since shots began being tracked in 1959-60) ended, Markstrom was up to the task. The offense also picked up from where it left off before the holiday break, as the Devils have a three-game winning streak for the fourth time this season.
Carolina got on the board first midway through the opening period. Robinson poked a loose puck behind Markstrom, who could not contain a blue-line blast from Jackson Blake.
The Hurricanes’ lead did not last long, as the Devils scored a pair just 42 seconds apart. Palat tied the contest at 16:12 of the first period, deflecting a shot from defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic over Kochetkov’s pads.
Hughes helped create New Jersey’s next goal. His clearing pass to Stefan Noesen in the neutral zone started a two-on-one break that Hischier finished with 3:06 left in the first.
Burns tied it just 22 seconds into the second period, but Hughes posted the game-winner at 4:15 of the second, assisted by defenseman Brett Pesce and forward Jesper Bratt.
Mercer finished the scoring with 11:13 remaining in the second.
The final 8:11 of the contest was played without a whistle.
New Jersey will seek its first four-game winning streak since a five-game run in January 2023 when the same two teams meet in Raleigh, N.C., on Saturday.
–Field Level Media
