MONTREAL — The New Jersey Devils extended their win streak to 10 games on Tuesday night with a comfortable 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre.
Jack Hughes scored twice for the Devils (13-3-0) while Dougie Hamilton, Jesper Bratt, and John Marino added singles. Evgenii Dadonov scored his first goal of the season for the Canadiens (8-7-1).
Montreal started the game aggressively and controlled the pace, forcing the best chance of the period. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield had an open two-man break but couldn’t convert.
Both teams started the second period with similar intensity, trading offensive possessions until the Devils opened the scoring. With Kirby Dach off for tripping, Hughes fired a perfect shot over Jake Allen’s shoulder.
Montreal almost answered immediately through a Dadonov shot deflection, but the shot hit the post. Hamilton doubled New Jersey’s lead minutes later by winning a puck battle and finishing short side.
The Canadiens halved the deficit when a pass from Sean Monahan was deflected and fooled everyone except Dadonov, who slotted the puck into an open net.
A giveaway in the defensive zone late in the second period left Hughes alone in the slot and he made no mistake, notching his second goal of the night and restoring New Jersey’s two-goal lead.
The Canadiens kept looking for a way back into the game but couldn’t generate the offensive opportunities. Their constant pressing left holes in the defence and the Devils made them pay.
With seven minutes left, another giveaway proved costly as Bratt capitalized to put the game out of reach. Marino added an empty-net goal in the dying seconds.
Both teams are back in action on Thursday. Montreal heads off to Columbus to play the Blue Jackets while New Jersey visits the Toronto Maple Leafs.
