Jack Hughes' three points push Devils past Rangers

Jack Hughes scored twice and added an assist as the visiting New Jersey Devils held on for a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

Hughes continued his quick start by being involved in each of New Jersey's three goals in the second period. The 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick recorded his first career two-goal game and second career three-point game, giving him six points through the first three games after he finished with 21 points in 61 games as a rookie last season.

Travis Zajac scored 32 seconds in and Miles Wood scored for the third straight game, converting on a late-second-period power play, as the Devils won their second straight.

Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad scored power-play goals in the second period for the Rangers, who were coming off a dominant 5-0 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday. Filip Chytil scored New York's other goal in the third period.

New Jersey's Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 47 shots, including 20 in the second period when the teams combined for 32 shots on goal. He also made 20 saves in the third, including several point-blank stops in the final 10 minutes when the Rangers were often in the offensive zone.

New York's Alexandar Georgiev allowed four goals on 20 shots after posting a 23-save shutout Saturday. Igor Shesterkin replaced him in the third period and stopped all eight shots he faced.

Hughes produced a dynamic performance after Kreider's pass intended for Zibanejad banked off the skate of New Jersey defenseman Ryan Murray 2:50 into the second to forge a 1-1 tie.

He snapped the 1-1 tie 4:13 into the second by crashing the net and backhanding a rebound past Georgiev. A little over four minutes later, Hughes blocked a pass by Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba at the blue line, raced past New York's Ryan Lindgren and finished off a breakaway with another backhander.

After the Rangers got within 3-2 on Zibanejad's goal with 7:51 remaining in the second, Hughes made a crisp cross-ice pass to Wood, who banked the puck off his skate into the vacated right side of the net.

Hughes nearly got a fourth point but P.K. Subban's apparent goal with 2:23 remaining was overturned after the Rangers successfully challenged for an offside call on Kyle Palmieri.

Wood's goal proved to be the game-winner as the Rangers got within 4-3 when Chytil lifted a rebound over Blackwood's left pad with 13 minutes to go.

--Field Level Media