NEWARK, N.J. — Jesper Bratt scored on a power play with 43 seconds left in overtime and the New Jersey Devils beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 on Monday night after squandering a three-goal lead.
Jack Hughes and Ondrej Palat scored two goals apiece and Vitek Vanecek made 26 saves in winning his 10th straight game for New Jersey, which is 9-1-1 in its last 11 games.
Andrei Kuzmenko, Luke Schenn, Curtis Lazar and Phillip Di Giuseppe scored for the Canucks, who were playing for the first time since trading captain and leading goal scorer Bo Horvat to the Islanders for Anthony Beauvillier, prospect Aatu Raty and a conditional first-round pick this year.
Collin Delia made 29 saves for Vancouver, but he had no chance on the one-time by Bratt, who was set up by a cross-ice pass by Hughes. Delia had stopped Hughes on an overtime breakaway.
The Devils seemed to be in control when Palat twice scored and Hughes once in a 50-second span midway through the second period to stake New Jersey to a 4-1 lead.
The Canucks, who have worked hard for new coach Rick Tocchet, clawed their way back. Schenn scored on a point shot with 4:31 left in the second period and Lazar tallied in close with 27 seconds to go.
Di Giuseppe knotted the game at 4-all at 6:02 on a 2-on-1 chance.
Kuzmenko gave the Canucks the lead 3:35 after the opening faceoff with a great move and shot. Hughes tied the contest, beating Delia with a backhander in close on a 1-on-1 chance.
NOTES: The Devils won both games in the season series, posting a 5-2 decision in Vancouver in November. … Beauvillier skated on the Canucks top line with Elias Pettersson at centre and Andrei Kuzmenko on left wing. … Devils D John Marino played for the first time since Dec. 20. He missed 17 games with an upper-body injury.
UP NEXT
Canucks: Continue New York-area swing and face the Rangers on Wednesday night.
Devils: Play host to the Kraken on Thursday.
