Devils beat Blackhawks 4-2 for sixth win in eight games

In a thrilling game, Dawson Mercer and Max Willman found the back of the net in the first period, leading the New Jersey Devils to a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night.

Curtis Lazar and Michael McLeod added goals of their own as the Devils extended their impressive run, winning six out of their last eight games. Vitek Vanecek showcased his skills with 32 saves, securing his sixth win in eight starts.

The Blackhawks fought hard, with Taylor Hall and Ryan Donato scoring, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Devils’ dominance. Arvid Soderblom made an impressive 36 saves in the losing effort.

Lazar deflected John Marino‘s shot from the slot, catching Soderblom off guard and extending the Devils’ lead to 3-2 in the third period.

Donato brought the Blackhawks within one with a rebound goal late in the third period. However, with just 1:12 remaining, Vanecek made a crucial stop on Phillipp Kurashev. McLeod sealed the deal with an empty-net goal in the final second.

Hall started the scoring for Chicago early in the game, capitalizing on a rebound from Tyler Johnson‘s shot from the point. This was Hall’s second goal in as many games since returning from injury.

Mercer leveled the score with a power-play wrist shot, beating Soderblom on the glove side. Willman, who was called up from Utica of the AHL on Saturday, then gave the Devils a 2-1 lead with a breakaway goal.

The Devils managed to shut down Chicago’s promising rookie Connor Bedard, preventing him from extending his three-game goal-scoring streak.

Notably, the Devils played without star centers Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. Hughes was recovering from an upper-body injury, while Hischier missed his fourth game due to a head check from Buffalo’s Connor Clifton on October 27.

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The Devils will face off against the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.