Jack Hughes has been living a charmed life ever since scoring the golden goal in the Milan Cortina Olympics.
With 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 16 games since returning to play from the break, Hughes will look to continue his good fortune on Tuesday when the New Jersey Devils visit the New York Rangers.
Hughes, who leads the team with 63 points, collected two goals and two assists in New Jersey’s 5-3 victory over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.
“The whole second period we dominated. Third period, it’s coming,” Hughes said of his team’s three-goal third period on Sunday. “So, we just had to stick with our game. Push, but not give anything crazy up. We did a good job of that.”
The win was the 10th in 14 games for the Devils (38-33-2, 78 points), who also boast a pair of 6-3 victories over the New York Rangers (30-35-9, 69 points) in that stretch. Hughes recorded a hat trick and an assist versus the Rangers on March 7 and one goal and two assists in New York on March 18.
Connor Brown, who scored a power-play goal on Sunday, totaled five points (one goal, four assists) in the two games against the Rangers this month. He has 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in the past 14 games.
Captain Nico Hischier set up a pair of goals on Sunday while playing in his 600th career NHL game.
“I’m very grateful for that,” said Hischier, the top overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft. “Time goes fast. I’m definitely very grateful to hit that milestone and hopefully many more to come.”
Hischier has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in his last 12 games, including two goals and an assist in the two contests versus New York.
Eliminated from postseason contention, the Rangers have answered a season-high six-game losing streak by winning each of their last two contests.
Rookie Adam Sykora scored his second goal in as many games early in the third period of New York’s 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s hard not to like that guy,” Sullivan said of the 21-year-old Sykora, who was playing in his third NHL game. “The energy he exudes, I don’t think he’s ever had a bad day in his life.”
Defenseman Adam Fox scored into an empty net to seal the win for the Rangers.
“We’re competitors, we all go out there to win, and I think you’re always playing for something,” Fox said. “For us, it would be a disservice to our teammates, fans, the organization to go out there and not give what we have. Obviously, it’s a tricky spot when you’re eliminated and there’s draft position and everything like that, but for us in here, we’re not focused on that.
“We’re trying to bring a good game, bring something we can be proud of, and go home and sleep good knowing we gave it our all out there. I think we’ve been doing a pretty good job of that.”
