TORONTO — Jack Hughes electrified fans with a hat trick, his third in the NHL, leading the New Jersey Devils to a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.
Cody Glass and Brenden Dillon also found the back of the net for the Devils, while Jake Allen contributed with 23 saves. Jesper Bratt played a crucial role by assisting three goals.
For Toronto, John Tavares and Matias Maccelli managed to score, with Anthony Stolarz making 30 saves in goal. William Nylander chipped in with two assists during the match.
The Maple Leafs had a promising start, leading 1-0 after the first period, but their defense faltered as they conceded three goals within the first five minutes of the second period.
During a second-period penalty kill, Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev sustained an upper-body injury following a collision with Devils center Dawson Mercer, forcing him to leave the game.
Toronto’s attempt to overturn New Jersey’s first goal with a goaltender interference challenge was unsuccessful. The call stood, resulting in a delay-of-game penalty. This gave the Devils a power play opportunity, and Glass capitalized, scoring to make it 2-1 shortly after Tanev left the ice.
UP NEXT
Devils kick off a three-game homestand against the Wild on Wednesday.
Maple Leafs visit the Buffalo Sabres on Friday.
