Duchene’s purpose, help lead Predators to 6-4 win over Devils

Matt Duchene scored a third-period purpose and assisted on one other to guide the Nashville Predators to a 6-4 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night time.

Cody Glass, Cole Smith, Mikael Granlund, Filip Forsberg and Tanner Jeannot additionally scored for Nashville, which has received three straight and 5 of six heading into the All-Star break. Juuse Saros stopped 36 photographs and Juuso Parssinen added two assists.

Jack Hughes had a purpose and an help for the Devils, who misplaced in regulation for simply the second time in January and fell to 7-1-1 of their final 9 video games.

Jesper Bratt, Yegor Sharangovich and Dawson Mercer additionally scored for New Jersey. Mackenzie Blackwood made 35 saves and Dougie Hamilton had three assists.

Hughes prolonged his level streak to seven video games, selecting up an help on Bratt’s first-period purpose after which scoring one among his personal early within the second. Hughes has 5 objectives and eight assists throughout his streak.

Blackwood was lively within the first, stopping 20 of the 22 photographs he confronted — probably the most the Devils have allowed in a interval this season. Likewise for Nashville, the shot complete was its season excessive for a interval.

Hamilton and Hughes every have a number of factors in three straight video games. Hughes leads the Devils with 21 multipoint video games this season, and Hamilton is second on the workforce with 14.

Nashville swept the two-game season sequence and has received six straight in opposition to New Jersey. Predators coach John Hynes, who coached the Devils previous to being employed in Nashville, is 5-0-0 in opposition to his former workforce.

Nashville’s energy play has struggled all season and particularly of late, scoring simply twice in 28 alternatives over the previous 10 video games. The Predators started the day twenty ninth within the NHL with a 16.2% success price however went 1 for two with the person benefit, with Glass scoring at 12:24 of the primary interval by poking a rebound previous Blackwood.

It took Smith 49 video games to attain his first NHL purpose, however the Nashville ahead now has objectives in two of his final three video games. Each got here off deflections in entrance.

Predators: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 7.

Devils: Go to the Dallas Stars on Friday.