Nico Hischier needed to step up in a big way. The New Jersey Devils lost Jack Hughes in the first period. He went down with an unknown injury. Head coach Sheldon Keefe says it isn’t likely serious, but that’s neither here nor there. Hischier was the only center in the top nine from the game on Tuesday. Cody Glass also got hurt that game, so the Devils are dealing with a short forward group, and they have faced their injuries at their most shallow position.
That leaves Nico Hischier as the one center Sheldon Keefe can trust. And he used him as much as he could.
Hischier ended up playing more minutes than any other Devils player on Thursday. It wasn’t even close. Hischier played more than 26 minutes on Thursday. The next closest player was Johnny Kovacevic, who played 21:25. For those who are deficient at math, Hischier played more than 3 ½ minutes more than any other player on the Devils.
Interestingly enough, the Predators needed this game, as well. At just 54 points, they see themselves three points out of the final Wild Card spot.
And that’s thanks to the Devils’ captain. He took an incredible shot from a little bit out as the defense gave him space, and it went past Predators goalie Justus Annunen.
Just an absurd snipe by Nico Hischier to put the #NJDevils on his back.
— Vinnie Parise (@VinnieParise) January 30, 2026
• Jesper Bratt needed a goal and it came at the perfect time
• Jacob Markström played very well, they were desperate for a good goalie performance and got it
pic.twitter.com/EnMbW0fecN
After the game, Hischier elaborated on the shot itself. He called it "risky" and claimed that it was something he didn't know if it would pay off. Luckily for him and the Devils, it did pay off.
"Just took my chance I guess. In overtime, we just got the puck back. That's definitely a risky shot. "Nico Hischier, Devils captain
This is a big win for the Devils, who saw the New York Islanders beat the New York Rangers, the Carolina Hurricanes come back from a 4-2 deficit to win late in the third period, and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the bricks off the Chicago Blackhawks. The Devils are desperate for points right now, and every time another team grows their lead on them, it makes it closer and closer to impossible to recover.
The Devils already have to go on a crazy run to save this season. There are only 28 games left in the regular season. The Devils are nine games out of a Wild Card spot, so that’s about as close to off the table as it can get. Their only hope is for the Islanders, who they just traded Ondrej Palat to, or the Penguins to fall off in a big way, while the Devils go crazy after the Olympic break.
It’s asking a lot, but if we get this version of Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes comes back healthy, anything is possible.