Hischier scores power-play goal to break tie, leads Devils over Canadiens 4-3

Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki (14) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the New Jersey Devils during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, in Newark, N.J. (Mary Altaffer, The Associated Press)

Nico Hischier woke up New Jersey's anemic power play by scoring with 6:27 to play and the slumping Devils beat Montreal 4-3 on Saturday to send the Canadiens to their fifth straight loss.

Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier and Ondrej Palat also scored as the Devils snapped a two-game losing streak and won for the second time in five games. Nico Daws made 23 saves and got a little lucky when Josh Anderson hit a crossbar on a break.

Bratt added an insurance goal three minutes after the Hischier goal and it was needed as Nick Suzuki scored his team-high 22nd of the season and second of the game with 1:51 to play.

Brendan Gallagher also scored for the Canadians, who have lost 7 of 8. Jake Allen made 20 saves for Montreal, which might have been showcasing him with the trade deadline approaching next month.

Hischier's 19th goal of the season snapped a 2-all tie and was only the Devils' third power-play score in their last 48 attempts. They were 0 for 12 in the last three games. It came with Suzuki in the penalty box for slashing Hischier.

After outshooting the Devils 10-5 in a scoreless first period, Montreal twice took one-goal leads in the second 20 minutes, only to see New Jersey tie the score.

Gallagher opened the scoring at 3:06 with a shot from between the circles that was set up by linemates Jake Evans and Anderson.

Meier tied the game a little more than two minutes later, tapping in an excellent pass from the sideboards by defenseman Kevin Bahl, the first of his two assists.

Suzuki got his first goal at 13:07. It came on a quick counterattack triggered by defenseman John Kovacevic's pass to Cole Caufield at the Devils' blue line and an ensuing cross-ice pass to the open Canadiens captain for a shot past Daws.

Palat tied the game with 2:10 left in the second period, putting the rebound of a Simon Nemec shot past Allen, who was screened by Jack Hughes.

Up next

Canadiens: Host Arizona on Tuesday night.

Devils: Host Tampa Bay on Sunday.

This report by the Associated Press was first published on Feb. 25, 2024.