Nico Hischier Plays Like A Star In New Jersey Devils Win Over Columbus Blue Jackets
The New Jersey Devils won a crucial matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. Nico Hischier was the star of the game, and it wasn’t close.
What can you say about Nico Hischier’s performance against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night? The first-overall pick had two of the prettiest assists you will see all season in the New Jersey Devils win.
It was well documented that head coach John Hynes called on the veterans to step up, but it was the rookie who carried this team in the win. Hischier was on fire for every single shift against the team who was in first place in the division coming into the game. This was possibly the biggest game of the season so far. This is the type of game that causes rookies to force it, and ultimately fail. Hischier is not a normal rookie.
Let’s take a look at the first assist of Hischier’s night. Just look at it.
Hischier skates all the way up the ice into the offensive zone. He could have easily skated behind the net and try to get the rest of the Devils defense set, but that’s not what he did. Instead, he stopped on a dime, faked out two defenders, and throws a perfect pass across ice to hit Taylor Hall perfectly for a one-time goal.
Think about the thought process of the Devils coming into this play. The team is coming off by far the worst performance of the season against the Arizona Coyotes. Travis Zajac scored a goal on a good play in the first period, but Columbus responded with a good goal of their own. Sergei Bobrovsky and Cory Schneider are both playing out of their minds. This goal changed the game completely.
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Nico was an absolute star Tuesday night. He drove the first line all night long. That line ended up responsible for the Devils last three goals in a 4-1 win. This, against the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. A win coming against the top team in the division, causing the Devils to take back the top spot in the Metropolitan. He’s growing in front of our eyes, and it’s been a sight to see.
The way Hischier’s been playing, there are more nights like this to come. He’s on fire. Tonight, he showed just how much star power he has. This was his coming out party.