Devils rally past Blue Jackets with 3 third-period goals

Nico Hischier, Arseny Gritsyuk and Luke Hughes scored within a two-minute span early in the third period Wednesday night for the visiting New Jersey Devils, who stormed back to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2.

Mason Marchment and Charlie Coyle scored in the first and second for the Blue Jackets before Kirill Marchenko sparked the Devils' rally by getting whistled for hooking 2:45 into the third.

Hischier won the subsequent faceoff deep in the Blue Jackets' zone and cut the gap in half four seconds later when Luke Hughes' shot from the slot glanced off his stick and trickled under the legs of teammate Stefen Noesen and Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves.

Gritsyuk capped an end-to-end rush and tied the score 55 seconds later, when his shot from the right faceoff circle sailed beyond Greaves' glove.

Another faceoff win for the Devils led to Luke Hughes' go-ahead goal at 4:45. Cody Glass outdueled Adam Fantilli to begin the sequence that ended with Luke Hughes beating Greaves stick side from the left faceoff circle.

Jake Allen made 33 saves for the Devis, who snapped a four-game losing streak (0-3-1) as they finished December with a 5-9-1 record.

Greaves recorded 30 saves for the Blue Jackets, whose three-game winning streak ended.

Marchment extended his point streak with his new club by scoring 6:18 into the first. Allen got a glove on Marchenko's shot from the slot but couldn't corral it before Marchment reached in and buried the rebound over Allen's blocker.

The Blue Jackets doubled the lead in similar fashion late in the second. Columbus defenseman Dante Fabbro stole the puck from Jack Hughes at the Devils goal line and passed to Cole Sillinger, whose shot glanced off Boone Jenner as he collided in the crease with New Jersey defenseman Colton White. With Jenner and White on the ice, Coyle swooped in and again put the puck over Allen.

--Field Level Media