Nico Hischier’s shorthanded goal in the second period stood as the winner Friday as the New Jersey Devils ended a two-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Jack Hughes added two goals and Dougie Hamilton a goal and an assist for the Devils, who are 2-7-1 in their past 10 games.
New Jersey goaltender Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves.
Evgeni Malkin and Jeff Carter scored for the Penguins, who have lost four in a row (0-2-2).
Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry made 24 saves.
The Penguins played without top defenseman Kris Letang, who has a lower-body injury.
Malkin, near the blue line in his own end, stole the puck from Hamilton for a breakaway and sent a shot over Vanecek’s glove to make it 1-0 at 14:26 of the first.
That moved Malkin past Sergei Fedorov into second all-time among Russian-born NHL players with 1,180 points.
At 3:21 of the second, Hamilton’s shot from the right circle went in, but it was immediately waved off as no goal because of goaltender interference, with New Jersey’s Erik Haula in the crease. The Devils unsuccessfully challenged the call.
New Jersey tied it with a goal that stood at 6:18 of the second. On a power play, Hughes lofted a shot from the left dot that went off Jarry’s right shoulder and under the crossbar. Hamilton picked up an assist for his 400th career point.
Carter gave the Penguins a 2-1 lead at 12:30 of the second. P.O Joseph got around Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler — who was temporarily limited just after blocking a shot — and dished to Carter, who slipped the puck toward the top of the crease, where it bounced in.
New Jersey tied it again at 17:37 of the second. Hamilton, from the inner edge of the right circle, scored short side.
Hischier gave the Devils their first lead, 3-2, with a shorthanded goal with 37.1 seconds left in the second. From the right point, he got past Malkin for a clear path to the net and scored far side.
Hughes added an empty-netter with 4.1 seconds left in regulation.
–Field Level Media