Newark, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils battled back from a deficit and capped off a dramatic comeback with an overtime victory, defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-3 at Prudential Center on Sunday.
Captain Nico Hischier delivered the game-winner just over three minutes into overtime, finishing off a scramble in front of the net during a power play. After Jack Hughes fired a shot that slipped out of goaltender James Reimer’s glove, Hischier pounced and slid the puck through the five-hole to seal the win.
The loss proved costly for Ottawa, dropping them behind the Boston Bruins in the tightly contested Eastern Conference wild-card race with just one game remaining.
Hischier led the way for New Jersey with two goals and an assist in a standout performance. Dawson Mercer added a goal and an assist, while Hughes contributed two helpers. In net, Nico Daws turned aside 27 shots, earning the win in his first appearance since October.
Ottawa got goals from Michael Amadio, Shane Pinto, and Fabian Zetterlund, while Reimer finished with 26 saves. The Senators were shorthanded, missing several key players including Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle.
New Jersey struck first in the opening period when Hischier cleaned up a rebound in front to give his team an early edge. Later in the period, Mercer appeared to double the lead, but the goal was waved off after an offside review.
The Devils did manage to extend their advantage with a short-handed effort, as Hughes set up a long stretch pass that led to a breakaway chance, resulting in a fortunate goal that slipped past Reimer.
Ottawa responded emphatically in the second period, scoring three unanswered goals. Amadio started the surge with a deflection, Pinto tied the game on the power play with a quick one-timer, and Zetterlund capitalized on a turnover in front to give the Senators their first lead of the night.
Facing a one-goal deficit late, the Devils found life again in the third. Mercer came through with a clutch short-handed breakaway goal, slipping a backhand shot through Reimer to even the score at 3-3.
That set the stage for overtime, where New Jersey completed the comeback behind Hischier’s decisive finish, securing a crucial win and sending the home crowd away energized.
