Jack Hughes, Devils down Bruins in overtime

Jack Hughes scored 2:47 into overtime and the New Jersey Devils earned a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday in Newark, N.J.

Hughes had no points in his previous three games but got his sixth career overtime game-winner as the Devils ended a six-game, head-to-head losing streak against the Bruins. Hughes won it nearly a minute after he was denied by goalie Jeremy Swayman.

Jesper Bratt started the deciding sequence by speeding through the right side and getting past Boston star David Pastrnak in the neutral zone. He then stopped near the right faceoff circle, and when Boston defenseman Hampus Lindholm backed off, Bratt moved the puck to Hughes.

Hughes delivered a rising shot from the outer edge of the left circle that sailed over Swayman's right arm.

Hughes' 11th goal of the season gave New Jersey its seventh win in nine games since its 2-7-0 slide from Nov. 3-24.

Dawson Mercer scored early in the third period for the Devils. New Jersey goalie Vitek Vanecek made 23 saves — all in regulation — and got the second assist on the game-winner.

Morgan Geekie scored in the first period for the Bruins, who fell to 9-5-3 since starting the season with a 9-0-1. The Bruins had been 4-1-0 in their previous five games.

Swayman stopped 33 shots, including the first five of the extra period before getting beaten by Hughes.

The Bruins dug the puck out of the boards twice to maintain possession and eventually scored first with at 16:51 of the opening period. After Vanecek batted a shot from the edge of the crease by James Van Riemsdyk, Geekie beat New Jersey defenseman Colin Miller to the loose puck and backhanded the rebound into the right side of the net.

The Devils tied it on a scramble in front at 2:34 of the third period. Mercer batted the puck out of mid-air and lifted it by Swayman after a shot from Erik Haula hit the post.

—Field Level Media