DETROIT (AP) — Jack Hughes scored on a breakaway off a slick pass from Jesper Bratt early in overtime, lifting the New Jersey Devils to a 5-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.
New Jersey’s Evan Rodrigues, Nico Hischier and Bratt scored tiebreaking goals and Anthony Mantha had a tying goal. Jake Allen stopped 22 shots for the Devils.
Alex DeBrincat had a pair of tying goals after Emmitt Finne and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard scored to give the Red Wings a 2-1 lead.
Detroit’s John Gibson made 32 saves, including a kick save that denied Arseny Gritsyuk on an odd-man rush late in regulation to send the game to overtime.
The Red Wings got off to a rough start, getting outshot 16-0 midway through the first period. New Jersey, though, didn’t take full advantage as Rodrigues scored its only goal in the opening period.
Finne scored on Detroit’s third shot with 1:25 left in the first period and Brandsegg-Nygard scored on the team’s next shot early in the second period.
The Devils, hoping to get back to the playoffs after finishing seventh in the division last year, acquired Rodrigues in a trade and signed Mantha — a former Red Wing — in free agency to boost their third line.
Detroit, meanwhile, had a shaky offseason.
Dylan Larkin asked to be traded and the former captain is still on the team. Simon Edvinsson, a standout defenseman, remains unsigned as a restricted free agent.
Devils forward Luke Evangelista was out with an illness after feeling worse throughout the game Monday night against Ottawa and was replaced by Stefan Noesen. New Jersey defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic made his season debut after missing all of training camp recovering from knee surgery this past spring.
Up next
Devils: Host the New York Rangers on Thursday night.
Red Wings: Host Philadelphia on Thursday night.