The New Jersey Devils kicked off a five-game homestead on Dec. 6 when they hosted the Seattle Kraken. Although the game was a close one, it was ultimately the Devils who prevailed in the end, taking home a 3-2 win.
Devils Reach Two Milestone Game Marks
Not one, but two Devils played in milestone games: Jesper Bratt and Dougie Hamilton.
Bratt played in his 500th NHL game. Playing with the team from the beginning of his career, this marked his 500th game as a Devil as well. Bratt was able to make some magic happen to mark the celebration, earning both a goal and an assist.
Related: New Jersey Devils’ Jesper Bratt Set to Skate in 500th NHL Game
Hamilton played in his 800th NHL game, and his 193rd as a Devil. Unfortunately, he was not able to earn any points for his efforts. It is still a major accomplishment for him to play in that many games.
Congrats to both Bratt and Hamilton for earning these milestone moments.
Jack Hughes Continues to Be on Fire
Jack Hughes managed to earn two points last night, assisting two of the three goals scored by the Devils.
The first was on his brother, Luke Hughes’ goal. Bratt struggled to get the puck away from the Kraken but was able to pass it out of their sight and toward the blue line. Jack was able to get the puck from here, skating it up toward the goal net. From here, he passed it to his brother. Thanks to this pass, Luke scored not only the first goal of the night but his first of the season.
On Bratt’s milestone game goal, Jack was also able to earn a point from this. Brenden Dillon had possession of the puck at the blue line. He passed it to Jack, who skated the puck up from that spot. He skated a circle around Oliver Bjorkstrand, who tried to block him but was unsuccessful. He was able to pass the puck to Bratt who scored from the face-off circle.
In both assists, the elder Hughes brother had possession of the puck from the blue line and was able to skate the puck up to the final goal scorer. His ability to skate through the sea of defending players is incredible. He sees an opportunity and makes the most of it. Luckily, he had two assists to show for his efforts. These two assists he earned bring his assist total to 24 for the season.
Devils: Rest for the Weary
The Devils had a nice three-day break between games, with their last one being on Monday, Dec. 2, against the New York Rangers. The team did not have very far to travel, which also helped them out.
The Devils have been grinding out games, especially since they kicked off the season in Prague during the Global Series. They have already played 29 games for the season. This three-day break helped the Devils out in more ways than one. Not only were they able to rest and recover a bit, but they were also able to get into the game with more fervor.
The Kraken came to this game as the second of back-to-back games, defeating the New York Islanders on Thursday, Dec. 5. Although the game was a close one, they had several sloppy plays, and the Devils were able to take advantage of that after being rested. As the Devils have four more games in their five-game homestead, the home-ice advantage will be an added benefit on top of the recovery time.
Next, the Devils will look to pick up two more points on Sunday, Dec. 8, when they host the Colorado Avalanche.
