Connor Hellebuyck notched his second victory for the New Jersey Devils on Friday, turning away 19 shots in a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. It was a huge road trip closer for New Jersey, with Arseny Gritsyuk and Jack Hughes each lighting the lamp twice to seal the deal against a tough Vegas squad.
The Hellebuyck Effect Is Real, And Gritsyuk Is On Fire
That Hellebuyck guy? Yeah, he’s a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, and you can see why. He spent his first 11 seasons in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets before the Devils acquired him on October 23. This 5-2 win marks his second W since joining the team, following a strong 5-1 performance in Dallas just on Tuesday night. It feels like this is just the beginning for him in New Jersey. And let’s talk about Arseny Gritsyuk. This kid is absolutely scorching! He’s put up at least a goal in six of the last eight games and has racked up an impressive 10 points during that red-hot stretch. You love to see a player step up like that and make a real difference.
Vegas Couldn’t Hold On As The Hughes Brothers Showed Up Big
The game started with Luke Hughes ripping a one-timer from the top of the left circle past Adin Hill, getting the Devils on the board early in the first. Vegas didn’t back down, though. Mark Stone tied it up, deflecting Mitch Marner’s blast from the point, and then Ivan Barbashev gave the Knights a 2-1 lead moments later, tapping home another picture-perfect cross-crease pass from Marner. But that lead? It didn’t even last a minute. Gritsyuk pounced on a turnover and sniped one top shelf from the left circle. New Jersey wasn’t done there. Jack Hughes, always finding a way to make magic happen, stole the puck from Jack Eichel in the neutral zone, dangled it through Stone’s legs, and then beat Hill to put the Devils back in front. Gritsyuk then grabbed his second goal by backhanding his own rebound after Hill blocked his first attempt. Jack Hughes capped it all off with an empty-net goal for the final 5-2 margin. What’s even wilder is the Devils now boast a 10-1-0 record when both Hughes brothers score in the same game. That’s a stat that tells you everything you need to know about their impact.
The Devils are back home and will host Edmonton on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights will hit the road for a Monday night matchup in Boston. New Jersey will be looking to carry this momentum forward, and with Hellebuyck finding his groove and key players like Gritsyuk and the Hughes brothers lighting it up, things are looking bright.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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