Nico Hischier and the Devils defeated the Nashville Predators at Prudential Center on Monday, November 25th, and defeated them 5-2. Hischier scored his first NHL career hat trick to help the Devils take this game and pick up the two points. Both Erik Haula and Justin Dowling also scored for New Jersey. With this win, the Devils extended their win streak to three games after they had been shutout by the Tampa Bay Lightning on November 16th. Filip Forsberg and Zachary L’Heureux both scored for the Nashville Predators, who have lost five of seven games. The Devils host the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday before they head to Detroit to take on the Red Wings on Friday.
New Jersey Devils Lineup:
Palat – Hughes – Bratt
Meier – Hischier – Noesen
Cotter – Haula – Mercer
Bowers – Dowling – Tatar
Dillon – Hamilton
Siegenthaler – Kovacevic
Hughes – Pesce
Markstrom
Allen
Nashville Predators Lineup:
Forsberg – O’Reilly – Nyquist
Stamkos – Svechkov – Evangelista
Jankowski – Novak – Marchessault
L’Heureux – Sissons – Smith
Lauson – Josi
Skjei – Carrier
Del Gaizo – Schenn
Saros
Wedgewood
With 14:52 on the clock in the first period, and with their first shot on goal, Filip Forsberg put the Predators ahead 1-0. Tommy Novak was fighting for the puck, and Nico Hischier took it, losing the puck, and then Forsberg grabbed it, scoring on a wrist shot from along far wall. Erik Haula tied it to 1-1 at 8:31 during a 3-on-2 when he tapped in a pass from Jonathan Kovacevic, who received the puck from Dawson Mercer as they entered Nashville’s zone.
Nico Hischier put New Jersey in front for their first lead of the night at 2-1 early into the second with 16:08 on the clock. Timo Meier carried the puck through the neutral zone, passing it off to Hischier as they began to enter the Predators’ zone, and Hischier skated around Marc Del Gaizo and above the crease, sending a wrist shot through Juuse Saros’ five-hole. On the power play at 9:59, Hischier made it 3-1 from the right face-off circle for his second goal of the game with a wrist shot… he extended it to 4-1 later into the period at 3:04 on a breakaway with a snap shot through the five-hole to complete a natural hat trick. He leads the Devils with 13 goals this season.
Zachary L’Heureux cut it to 4-2 with his second goal of the season on a backhand on a breakaway at 12:21 of the final frame. Later on, he left after he took a cross-check to the face from Timo Meier, who received a five-minute major penalty. With little time remaining in regulation, Justin Dowling struck Nashville’s empty net for the 5-2 final eight seconds after the Predators’ power play expired, where they had one shot on goal.
Nico Hischier on his first hat trick, not panicking in risky situations, and how they’ve built towards those moments: “It feels good. I had a couple of two-goal games in my career, and somehow, that last one went in and I don’t know how… I’ll take it for sure – Every game, we have a plan, and if you execute it, gives ourselves a chance to win a hockey game. The plan switches, depends who you’re playing… I think everybody in here understands, shift after shift, what we’re supposed to do and wear them down, and you have a good chance to win a game.”
Brett Pesce on what he likes most about the way the Devils played, and what he learns about a guy like Nico when they’re teammates that he doesn’t necessarily get when he was his opponent: “I’d say probably Nico. He was awesome… Not the greatest first period, but good teams find ways to win games like that and whether the storm and find momentum, and we’re starting to learn that. So, it’s a really positive thing for us,” – “I appreciate him way more, I’ll tell you that. Obviously, it wasn’t fun playing against him, but just seeing him do all the little things like block shots, win battles in the corner, and put pucks in the back of the net – he’s a true captain. He’s our leader and we follow him.”
Erik Haula on Nico Hischier’s performance and Jacob Markstrom: “Just happy for him. He’s such an important player for us, obviously. Eight years and first hat trick – you’d think he has five or six of them,” – “He’s our wall back there. We’ve got great goaltending from both goalies. Going back to Washington, a one-timer save in a one-goal game – Marky’s been incredible. They’re giving us a chance every night, and it’s good that we’re finding consistency in front of them.”
Notes:
– Nico Hischier completed his first NHL career hat trick, which also put an end to a 10-game goal drought. …Hischier is the fourth Devils player to score a natural hat trick in the past 15 years. He joins Jack Hughes (November 26th, 2022), Brian Boyle (November 5th, 2018), and Michael Cammalleri (November 6th, 2016). He is also the fourth player to score a natural hat trick in a single period for the Devils/Kansas City Scouts/Colorado Rockies with Peter Stastny (December 29th, 1991: second period), Stephane Richer (March 29th, 1993: second period), and Brian Gionta (October 12, 2006: third period).
– Jonathan Kovacevic picked up a pair of assists, and Jacob Markstrom made 19 saves for New Jersey.
– Juuse Saros had been pulled after allowing four goals on 30 shots in the first two periods… Scott Wedgewood made a total of 15 saves in relief for Nashville.
– The Nashville Predators were 0-for-5 on the power play after scoring on three of eight chances the past three games.
– On Monday, the Nashville Predators traded forward Philip Tomasino to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
