The New Jersey Devils extended their strong home record with a 3-2 overtime victory against the St. Louis Blues at Prudential Center. Simon Nemec scored the game-winning goal at 2:58 of extra time, assisted by captain Nico Hischier.
The Devils improved to 9-0-1 on home ice this season, tying a franchise record with 10 consecutive games earning a point at home to start the year. The game, played on Wednesday night in Newark, NJ, featured intense action, including a crucial penalty kill in the third period.
Simon Nemec netted the overtime winner on a backdoor setup from Nico Hischier. "I was just trying to find a spot and he found me," Nemec said. "Great goal."
Hischier contributed a goal and two assists, including on Nemec's tally and Timo Meier's goal. Hischier also scored on the power play in the second period, redirecting a rebound from Meier's shot past Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington. This marked Hischier's fifth goal in his last five games, bringing his point total to nine (5G-4A) over that span.
Timo Meier had a strong performance with a goal and an assist, his third goal in three games. "I'm feeling good," Meier said. "I'm trying to keep it simple and use my physicality and speed to create a lot of loose pucks."
For the Blues, Cam Fowler and Robert Thomas scored the team's goals.
A pivotal moment came two minutes into the third period with the score tied 2-2. Devils forward Ondrej Palat received a four-minute double minor for high sticking, but the team successfully killed off the penalties. "We wanted to kill that for the team, for Palat," Hischier said. Head coach Sheldon Keefe praised the effort: "The guys did a great job... Credit to the guys. That's the reason we get through it."
The Devils generated numerous chances by gaining inside leverage at the Blues' crease, though Binnington made key saves. Defenseman Simon Nemec logged a game-high 24:09 of ice time.
"It was a good win," Hischier added. "They have a pretty good lineup... Found a way to win in overtime. These points count as well."