Nemec hat trick lifts Devils to 4-3 overtime win over Blackhawks – Hockey Writers –
TNT aired a late-night showdown between the Chicago Blackhawks and New Jersey Devils. Consider that the Blackhawks are on a three-game winning streak and the Devils are the third-best team in the NHL.
Both teams were tested as they were missing key players due to injury. The Devils were missing Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pace and Connor Brown. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks are missing Andre Burakovsky, Frank Nazar and Jason Dickinson.
Therefore, this game was a challenge for both teams, but in the end the Devils won 4-3 in overtime.
game review
The Devils and Blackhawks traded blows in the first quarter, but then the game didn’t go according to the Devils’ plan. The Blackhawks opened the scoring on a five-on-three power play from Connor Bedard (who has now scored in his ninth straight game) to make it 1-0. Luke Hughes tripped Bedard, then Brenden Dillon mounted Tyler Bertuzzi. In addition to this, New Jersey lost two players during this period: Zach McEwen and Cody Glass. The Blackhawks missed 12 of 10 shots.
In the second quarter, the Blackhawks played sloppily and the Devils took advantage. Wyatt Kaiser’s hook to Jack Hughes set the Devils up for a power play early, but they couldn’t turn the game around. Blackhawks goalkeeper Spencer Knight stepped up to deny Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier close-range chances in the period. The Devils kept pushing and it paid off for them, beating Chicago 14-3. Simon Nemec tied the game at 1-1 for the Devils with 14 seconds left in the second period.
The Blackhawks made it 2-1 early in the third period on Landon Slagter’s goal, but New Jersey tied the score at 2-2 on Dawson Mercer’s goal. Sam Lafferty gave Chicago the lead back at 3-2, and the Devils made it 3-3 on Nemec’s second goal of the night.
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In overtime, Nemec completed his first career hat trick, helping the Devils win 4-3. New Jersey defeated the Blackhawks 37-20, and the Blackhawks had only 8 shots on goal after the first quarter.
What’s next?
The Blackhawks will host the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 15th. The Devils, meanwhile, continue a five-game road trip, with their next stop on Nov. 15 against the Washington Capitals.
