Jack Hughes caps Devils comeback as New Jersey edges Flyers 3-2 in overtime

Two Flyers leads, one Devils finish

Philadelphia struck first at 11:12 of the opening period when Rasmus Ristolainen converted a tip-in, with Travis Sanheim and Travis Konecny drawing the assists. It was the sort of goal the Flyers needed on a night when their offence did not come in waves: get in front, make New Jersey work through traffic, and trust their goaltender and shot blocking behind the play.

The Devils finally answered late in the second. Dougie Hamilton tied it 1-1 at 17:58 with an unassisted snap shot, a deserved reset for a home side that kept forcing pucks on net even while the scoreboard stayed stubbornly against it. That goal changed the tone of the game without ending the Flyers’ resistance.

Philadelphia went back in front at 5:33 of the third when Sanheim scored on a slap shot, assisted by Sean Couturier. The lead did not last long. Luke Hughes levelled the game at 9:44 off a setup from Luke Evangelista, and the Devils completed the turnaround in overtime when Jack Hughes scored the winner at 3:23, with Jesper Bratt collecting the assist. Philadelphia found two leads; New Jersey found the last answer.

Woll kept the Flyers alive until the last rush

A 44-25 edge in shots on goal explains much of this game, but not all of it. Joseph Woll was excellent for Philadelphia, stopping 41 of 44 shots for a .932 save percentage and giving the Flyers every chance to steal the result. The skaters in front of him helped by blocking 32 shots, a heavy defensive workload that kept New Jersey from turning its pressure into a regulation win.

Jake Allen saw less rubber at the other end, but his 23 saves on 25 shots were enough once the Devils’ attack broke through for a third time. Philadelphia’s scoring came entirely from the blue line, with Ristolainen and Sanheim providing the goals. Sanheim also added an assist, while Ristolainen put four shots toward goal. It was useful offence from the back end, but the Flyers did not get enough finishing support beyond it.

The Devils’ pressure came from several directions. Hamilton and Bratt each recorded six shots, while Jack Hughes and Luke Hughes had five apiece, and Timo Meier added four. Just as notable, New Jersey did all of its scoring away from the power play. The Devils went 0-for-4 with the extra man, the Flyers went 0-for-1, and all five goals in the game arrived outside special-teams scoring. That kept the focus on five-on-five execution and, eventually, overtime skill.

Our take: New Jersey’s volume mattered, but both teams left clear lessons behind

New Jersey earned this win over the full night, even if it took overtime to cash in. The Devils finished with a 44-25 shot advantage, a 7-3 edge in takeaways and a cleaner puck-management line than Philadelphia, which was charged with 23 giveaways to New Jersey’s 18. The only thing missing for long stretches was efficiency. A team that puts that many pucks on target will usually want more than three goals, especially after going 0-for-4 on the power play.

For Philadelphia, the frustration is that a disciplined defensive effort in open play still slipped. The Flyers blocked 32 shots, matched the Devils in the faceoff circle at 32 wins apiece, got 41 saves from Woll, and still could not make two separate leads hold up. Their margin was thin because they generated only 25 shots and spent too much of the game under pressure. The third-period lead lasted just 4:11 before Luke Hughes tied it, and overtime offered little room for another escape.

There was encouraging detail on both benches, even in a one-goal finish. The Devils got goals from Hamilton, Luke Hughes and Jack Hughes, plus setup work from Bratt and Evangelista, which is the kind of spread that keeps an attack from feeling one-note. The Flyers can point to strong two-way nights from Sanheim and Ristolainen, but they would likely want cleaner puck decisions and more support for their goaltender next time. On this night, New Jersey kept asking the bigger question, and eventually Philadelphia ran out of answers.

Scoring moments

1. 1st · 11:12

   Rasmus Ristolainen Goal (1) Tip-In, assists: Travis Sanheim (1), Travis Konecny (1)

2. 2nd · 17:58

   Dougie Hamilton Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: none

3. 3rd · 5:33

   Travis Sanheim Goal (1) Slap Shot, assists: Sean Couturier (1)

4. 3rd · 9:44

   Luke Hughes Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Luke Evangelista (1)

5. OT · 3:23

   Jack Hughes Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Jesper Bratt (1)