Irshadgul News report,
Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist, Mackenzie Blackwood had 25 saves, and the New Jersey Devils beat the Ottawa Senators 5–3 and clinched a playoff berth on Saturday night.
“It means everything to the group. I went into the dressing room after the game and just said I’m proud of the work that we did, proud of the fact that we got to be one of three teams tonight Proud to have an X.” next to his name,” said Devils coach Lindy Ruff.
“All the work they’ve done, the adversity they face during the year. The adversity they face at the start of the season, we’ve just gotten to where they are.”
New Jersey could have clinched their first post-season berth since 2018 with a win, but it happened before their first halftime when the Florida Panthers lost to the New York Rangers in regulation.
Jesper Bratt, who was a rookie for the Devils in 2017–18, said, “I had a smaller role back then.” “I would say at a young age, it’s kind of like you think that just because it happened your first year, it can happen every year.
“And then it moves very quickly with the reality that that wasn’t the case and you had to work very hard for it. It’s a really tough league. So it feels really good.”
“It’s been too many years with the struggle, not winning, and it’s great now to play a game like this and achieve it.”
Bratt, Dawson Mercer and Dougie Hamilton scored for the Devils and Tomas Tatar scored an empty-netter with 42.3 seconds left to put things away.
Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Mark Kastelic scored for the Senators, and Dylan Ferguson made 30 saves.
Tkachuk scored his 33rd goal of the season to give the Senators a 1–0 lead 3:14 into the first period. The Devils responded in the middle of the first period with Hughes’ 40th goal of the season on a breakaway, going to the fifth-hole to tie it.
Nick Holden turned the puck away and Bratt scored his 31st goal of the season on a breakaway 2:24 into the second period to give New Jersey a 2–1 lead. Mercer’s 23rd of the season came just over a minute later.
The Senators responded midway through the second period when Thomas Chabot scored his 11th goal of the year to cut the deficit to 3–2. They added to things at 16:03 of the second when Kastalik scored his fifth of the season.
Travis Hamonic said, “We were confident going into the third period. We felt like the game was ours for the taking.” “They score on their chances, and that’s the game.”
Hamilton scored 3:34 into the third period to give the Devils the lead. His 19th goal broke the franchise record for goals in a season by a defenceman, surpassing Scott Stevens – the Devils great whose number hangs in the rafters – the record of 18 in 1993–94.
notes
It was the first game for the Devils’ backup Blackwood since February 19. … Nico Hischier has a six-game point streak after recording two assists.
next
Senators: Host the Florida Panthers on Monday night.
Devils: Play at New York Islanders on Monday night.