Two. That’s how many games since the Olympic break ended that Jack Hughes went scoreless. Two games out of 13. Only the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings have kept Hughes without a point, and the Devils literally didn’t score any goals against the Red Wings.
Hughes continued his dominance on Tuesday night, scoring two goals in the first period against the Dallas Stars. Those two goals ended up being important in the 6-4 victory. Both goals were impressive, with Hughes coming in all alone and making a move on Jake Oettinger. That eventually led to the Stars pulling Oettinger in favor of Casey DeSmith.
Not only has Hughes been consistent, but he has many big performances. He’s scored at least two goals as many times as he has had scoreless outings.
In the past 13 games, Hughes has 21 points. He has 18 points in March. Only Martin Necas and Nikita Kucherov have more points in the month than Hughes. Add Cutter Gauthier and Cole Caufield to the list, and that’s who has more goals than Hughes this month. This is actually one of the best months in Hughes’s career.
It’s unfortunately happening at a time where the games don’t matter, but Hughes understands the importance of looking good at the end of the season. There was a lot of negativity towards Hughes going into the Olympic break after he missed time with an injury. Some questioned his committment to the Devils, but he’s shown, in a lost season, that he still very much cares about this franchise.
Jack Hughes's two-goal performance is another example as to how he can dominate the league when the time is right.
From talking about the greatness of New Jersey as a state upon his return from scoring to the Golden Goal to his continued pursuit of greatness during the season, Hughes is committed to this team in more ways than one.
Despite the recent surge, the Devils still sit in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division. They are five points away from the Capitals, who are six points out of a playoff spot. The Devils have gone 7-3-0 in their last 10, but they’ve actually lost ground in their “playoff” race.
Hughes is playing for his future and his narrative right now. If that’s what motivates him to score two goals a night, then so be it.