Nemec scores in OT, Devils edge Blues to extend opening home point streak to 10

NEWARK, N.J. -- Simon Nemec scored at 2:58 of overtime, and the New Jersey Devils extended their season-opening home point streak to 10 games with a 3-2 win against the St. Louis Blues at Prudential Center on Wednesday.

Nico Hischier collected the puck behind the net, skated to the right of the crease and sent a backdoor pass to Nemec, who beat Jordan Binnington blocker side.

"He's obviously a great player so you can expect passes like this from him, so I was just trying to find a spot there and he found me so, great goal," Nemec said.

Hischier had a goal and two assists, and Timo Meier had a goal and an assist for the Devils (15-7-1), who have won two straight and are 9-0-1 at home. Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves.

"Good win. They have a pretty good lineup, so we knew it was not going to be an easy game," Hischier said.

Cam Fowler had a goal and an assist, and Robert Thomas scored for the Blues (7-10-7), who have lost two in a row and finished their five-game road trip 1-1-3. Binnington made 26 saves.

"We fought hard, gave ourselves a chance but disappointing to have that result," Fowler said. "But I thought our guys dug in and played for one another and gave ourselves an opportunity against a good hockey team."

Fowler gave the Blues a 1-0 lead 2:16 into the first period with their first shot on goal. After the puck bounced off the boards, Fowler took a slap shot from just outside the left face-off circle that beat Markstrom glove side.

Meier tied the game 1-1 at 11:02 when he kicked a loose puck to himself and lifted it past Binnington from in front.

"It kind of just landed perfectly, so good job by Dougie (Hamilton) getting it through I don't know how many bodies and how it bounced off to me so big goal to get us started," Meier said.

Thomas gave the Blues a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal at 14:37 with a snap shot from inside the left circle.

Hischier tied it 2-2 while on the power play at 8:49 of the second period when he got the rebound of a shot by Meier and tucked it between Binnington's pads.

"We gave up a goal early on in the game on the PK so we knew we had to dial it in," Hischier said. "Obviously special teams is very important in this League. We got a power-play goal as well. Games can be decided from that."

Binnington made 13 saves in the first period, including three in the first 46 seconds of the game.

"He was great," Fowler said. "He kept us in it. The first period, we didn't have our legs, and he made some big saves to keep us in the hockey game. So he was incredible, and he deserved a better fate than what we gave him."

The Blues were unable to score on a four-minute power play when Ondrej Palat was assessed a double minor for high sticking two minutes into the third period. They had five shots on goal.

"Yeah, you know, gave them a lot of momentum," Thomas said. "That's a big spot in the game where we'd like our power play to come through. So that's a big moment that we'll be kicking ourselves for not capitalizing on."

The Devils tied their longest season-opening point streak in their history (8-0-2 from Oct. 8-Dec. 6, 2016).

"Let's keep it going," Hischier said. "We're playing well at home and let's try to keep it up."

NOTES: Nemec became the eighth defenseman in Devils/Colorado Rockies history with multiple overtime goals in a single season (also Nov. 12 at the Chicago Blackhawks). Hischier has eight points (four goals, four assists) in his past three games. … Devils forward Evgenii Dadonov did not play after sustaining an undisclosed injury in a 4-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday, and "will miss some time," coach Sheldon Keefe said before the game.