Hughes Ignites Devils in Overtime at Detroit
Heavy shooting and slick passing from Hughes forced reactions that opened the net for teammates in a wild extra-time finish
Written during the game · 8:40 PM ET. Final was NJD 5, DET 4 (OT).
Jack Hughes was the engine behind New Jersey's highest-quality attack.
He finished with a goal and two assists, but more important was how he attacked — firing 8 shots on goal and generating an individual expected goals value of 1.09. That sustained activity kept Detroit's defenders occupied and pulled attention toward the slot, which created cleaner looks for teammates. The Devils converted: Jesper Bratt and Evan Rodrigues both cashed chances that came from the space Hughes carved out (Bratt’s goal in the second and Hughes’ overtime winner are direct examples). New Jersey’s forwards turned that pressure into team-level value — the Devils finished with 4.66 expected goals and 25 high-danger chances — a group result that started with Hughes’ nonstop shooting and playmaking. In short: his volume forced reactions that became scoring opportunities for others, and the overtime goal closed it out.