The Valais center was obviously named first star in a match won 5-2 by the Devils against the Nashville Predators of Roman Josi, author of an assist in this game.
The captain of New Jersey, who had not scored a single goal in his previous 10 matches after having accumulated 10 in his first 13 outings, therefore put an end to this drought in the most beautiful way. He even performed a real “hat trick” by scoring three times in a row in the same period.
Trailing 1-0 after 5’08, New Jersey equalized in the 12th before taking the advantage in the 24th. Nico Hischier scored his first success of the evening by overtaking the defense after a pass from Appenzell’s Timo Meier, scoring 3-1 in the 41st on a numerical advantage and 4-1 in the 47th.
Hischier is just the fourth player in franchise history to score three goals in quick succession in a single third period. “It feels good,” he said, quoted on the NHL website. “I’ve had a few two-goal games in my career. Somehow the last one was scored and I don’t know how.”
The Devils – who spent five minutes at 4-on-5 in the third period after Meier took a major penalty in the 53rd when the score was 4-2 – also ended a long drought by winning this third consecutive victory. They remained on eight straight defeats in Newark against the Predators.
The evening was also beautiful for Nino Niederreiter, author of his 9th success in this 2024/25 financial year. The Grison even scored the winning goal – 2-1, in the 33rd minute – for the Winnipeg Jets, who celebrated their 18th success in 22 matches against Minnesota (4-1) thanks above all to 43 saves from Connor Hellebuyck.
