The New Jersey Devils held the momentum for most of the game against the Minnesota Wild on Monday night. They had the shot advantage after an initial burst by their former head coach's team. John Hynes had his guys motivated after the Devils put the Wild on their heels all game on Saturday night, ending in a 5-2 victory. On Monday night, the Devils were once again clearly the better team.
Luke Hughes returned from a two-game absence to play like a man possessed. He was the best guy on the ice, and he played like one of the best defensemen in hockey. This was truly an other worldly performance. He scored the Devils' first goal, and he tipped the puck as the Wild tried to get out of the zone on the second.
Nico 4 - Minnesota 3 pic.twitter.com/cZvbIh38bL
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) April 1, 2025
The stick placement there to get all puck and avoid tripping the opponent is psychotic. Hughes is a one of one on the blue line, and thank goodness he's healthy again.
But even with the lead, the Devils had to face serious adversity. Prior to the Nico Hischier go-ahead goal, Brett Pesce appeared to have a goal after a lucky bounce hit Filip Gustavsson in the back. That should be an easy goal, but the puck landed on Gustavsson's back. Still, he backed himself into the net and the goal horn went off.
Referees reviewed this Devils no goal, it's on Gustavsson's back and he reaches his arm back to stop it. Still no goal on review pic.twitter.com/XyprpqSl8T
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) April 1, 2025
There was no angle that showed without a shadow of a doubt the goal should count, so Pesce lost his lucky shot. It ended up being an important goal because the Wild would come back, as the Devils blew another late lead at home. This time, Brenden Dillon made a terrible pass attempt that went off Nick Foglino's skate and gave Matt Boldy the puck with nobody between him and Jacob Markstrom.
Boldy would tie the game with just over two minutes left. The game would then go to overtime where the Devils thought they won the game. Paul Cotter took a Nico Hischier pass and hit the back of the net. Great! Game over, right? Not so fast. That fun "offsides review" got in the way, as a pass backwards went over the line by literally an inch.
The Devils had to go to the dreaded shootout. Many Devils fan were apoplectic when the clock hit zero at the end of the 3v3 overtime period. The Devils haven't been very good in the shootout, but Monday night was different.
Paul Cotter, who has been very reliable in the shootout, scored again to give the Devils the lead. Jacob Markstrom made the first save, giving them a huge edge. Jesper Bratt made a fantastic move, and Boldy hit the crossbar on his next shot. That ended the game, giving the Devils a 3-2 win.
New Jersey Devils beat Minnesota Wild in the shootout
This is the type of victory the Devils need heading into the playoffs. They faced every possible setback and came out the victors. While there is no shootout in the playoffs, it is good to see the Devils refuse to get down on themselves and let the game spiral. This is a team that's getting confident again. Even in the Winnipeg Jets loss, they didn't go down in the dumps. They just got outplayed.
Now, the Devils get four days off. This gives some of the teams chasing the Devils a chance to make up some of their games at hand. The Devils magic number is down to eight points, meaning they either need to win four games or the teams chasing them have to lose four games. Most likely, it will be a combination of both.
By the time the Devils welcome the New York Rangers to the Rock, we'll know what they are fighting for. They could come out with an attempt to punch the Devils in the mouth if they are still in the race, but if things are bleak on Broadway, it might be a lackluster effort.