Hughes scores winner in OT to lead Devils past Stars 3-2

DALLAS (AP) — Jack Hughes scored his second goal of the game 20 seconds into overtime, lifting the New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Friday night.

Hughes’ winning goal skipped off the stick of Dallas’ Tyler Seguin and eluded Jake Oettinger as the Devils rallied from a 2-0 deficit and improved to an NHL-best 19-3-2 on the road this season.

“Just shoot the puck,” said Hughes, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft who’ll represent New Jersey at next week’s All-Star game in Florida. “Sometimes you get the luck.”

Dougie Hamilton assisted on both of Hughes’ goals. Hughes has scored 33 goals this season, including 26 in his last 30 games.

“You can see he’s something special,” Devils goalie Vitek Vanecek said of Hughes. “It’s great watching him.”

Miles Wood also scored and Vanecek made 33 saves, including some point-blank stops, to stretch his personal winning streak to a career-best nine straight games.

The Devils, who are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, earned a split of a road back-to-back after losing 6-4 to Nashville on Thursday night. Five of New Jersey’s last six games have gone past regulation.

Roope Hintz and Ty Dellandrea scored for the Stars, whose last three games have all been 3-2 losses in overtime.

Oettinger stopped 26 shots for the Stars, who have lost three consecutive games for the first time this season (0-1-2). It’s also the first time Dallas has played three consecutive games beyond regulation since March 2018.

The Devils are 7-3 in overtime this season while the Stars are 2-8. Dallas was 10-4 in overtime last season.

“Sometimes when things start happening like this in overtime, you start thinking about it maybe a little too much instead of just going out and playing,” Seguin said.

Stars coach Pete DeBoer will lead the Central Division squad at the All-Star game.

“I’ll go sit in a dark corner somewhere in Florida and try to figure out this overtime thing,” he said. “We created enough chances to win that game 4-2. You’ve got to give their goalie credit.”

Dellandrea’s opening goal came at 10:50 of the opening period after he skated toward the left corner, spun and lifted the puck toward the crease. It struck the right skate of a backchecking Erik Haula and dribbled under Vanecek into the net.

Hintz’s goal, his 20th of the season and 100th of his five-year NHL career, was scored 5 seconds into a 5-on-3 power play following a Dallas timeout for a 2-0 lead. He blasted a one-timer from the right circle off a faceoff win at 16:44.

The Devils quickly answered in the second period with two goals in the first four minutes to tie it. Hughes scored on a breakaway, converting a two-line outlet pass 65 seconds into the period. Wood also scored on transition during a Dallas change of lines.

Wood ended a 19-game skid without a goal. His only two goals in his past 34 games have come against Dallas.

GONE FISHIN’

Both teams head into their All-Star breaks. The Stars have the most points in the West and lead the Central Division by three points over the Winnipeg Jets, who have one game in hand. The Devils are second in the Metropolitan Division, two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes, who have a game in hand.

UP NEXT

Devils: Host Vancouver on Feb. 6 in their first game following the All-Star break.

Stars: The fifth of eight consecutive home games will be played against the Anaheim Ducks on Feb. 6.

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