New Jersey Devils: Reliving Nico Hischier’s Best Moments After All-Star Game
By Andy Studna
Arguably, the new face of the New Jersey Devils franchise, Nico Hischier, made his NHL All-Star debut over the weekend in St. Louis. While Hischier lost the NHL’s Last Men In fan vote, he would serve as an injury replacement for the Devils’ original representative, Kyle Palmieri.
In light of Hischier’s first All-Star selection, it is difficult to not look back at the first two-plus years of his career. While the Devils franchise has experienced some highs and lows during this time, the young centerman has certainly shown why he soared up draft boards in 2017 and became the first-overall pick. In no particular order, here are some of the best moments of Hischier’s young career.
1. First NHL Goal(s)
As part of the many signature moments during the Devils’ magical run in the first half of the 2017-2018 season, the team grabbed a come-from-behind overtime win against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 19. It was the Devils’ sixth win in their first seven games of the season. While former Devils defenseman John Moore stole the show with the game-winner in overtime, Hischier broke out for three points; two of which were his first NHL goals.
Hischier had already collected four assists in his first six games leading up to this contest against the Senators. He was clearly looking the part of a top-line center, playing on a line featuring former Devils, Drew Stafford and Taylor Hall. Just 2:30 into the game, Hischier finally got loose for his first NHL goal. He potted a behind-the-net feed from Stafford into a gaping net to give the Devils an early 1-0 edge.
Only a few minutes later, at 4:21 of the first period, Hischier struck again by poking a loose puck past Senators goalie, Craig Anderson in a net-mouth scramble. The Devils rookie centerman added an assist on the game-winner by Moore in overtime, capping a memorable three-point performance. It stands as his first of five, three-point games so far in his young career.