Hischier scores hat trick, Devils defeat Wild

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Nico Hischier scored his second hat trick of the season to help the New Jersey Devils to a 5-2 win against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center on Saturday.

Hischier set a new career high for goals in a single season with 33.

“I think sometimes puck bounces right in front of you, sometimes you can do as much as you want and it doesn’t go in,” Hischier said. “So I’m glad tonight it worked out and I was able to help the team that way.”

Paul Cotter and Tomas Tatar also scored, and Jesper Bratt had two assists for New Jersey (39-29-7), which lost 4-0 at the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. Jacob Markstrom made 22 saves.

The Devils are seven points behind the Carolina Hurricanes, who have three games in hand, for second place in the Metropolitan Division.

“To me, we were a real determined group from the start,” New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said. “It was very evident. Everybody’s first shift just sounded a little different at ice level, felt a little different, guys digging in just a little more. I just really thought it was a determined effort. To me, it was one of those nights where you weren’t going to be denied. There’s no panic in the group in the third period. … Lot of things to love about our group tonight.”

Marcus Foligno had a goal and an assist, and Ryan Hartman also scored for Minnesota (41-28-5), which has lost two of its past three and is tied with the St. Louis Blues for the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference with one game in hand. Filip Gustavsson made 28 saves.

“I just thought from the drop of the puck, mentally and physically we weren’t where we needed to be, and it lasted throughout the game,” Wild coach John Hynes said.

New Jersey took a 1-0 lead 29 seconds into the first period when Hischier slid a rebound past Gustavsson that came off a Bratt wrist shot.

Cotter increased the lead to 2-0 at 5:46. He sent a shot on net from the right boards and banked it off the inside of Gustavsson's right pad as he was sliding over to the right post.

Foligno cut the deficit 2-1 at 16:31, tipping a Jared Spurgeon point shot in the slot.

“… There's times where I thought we had it, and then a lot of it we didn't,” Spurgeon said. “And a lot of the opportunities they got, we gave them.

“We just weren't at our best in general tonight. It just wasn't good enough.”

Hischier extended the lead to 3-1 at 3:13 of the third period with a wrist shot from high outside the left circle that deflected of Spurgeon’s skate and then the right post.

Hartman crashed the crease to bring it to 3-2 at 5:22 after Foligno redirected Zach Bogosian’s shot off the crossbar.

“We put ourselves down too early,” Hartman said. “That’s a good team that you got to show up ready. We handed them two goals which is unacceptable at this time of the year."

Hischier completed the hat trick on the power play at 14:50 when he banked in a shot off Gustavsson from the left side of the net.

Tatar collected a loose puck and sent a wrist shot over Gustavsson's glove from the right circle at 16:46 for the 5-2 final.

“It’s a huge win for us in the standings, but kind of a morale and emotional win,” Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic said. "I think everyone bought in, everyone really dug in and came together. And that’s something, you know, hard to put into words but you can really feel it in the dressing room.”

NOTES: Devils defenseman Luke Hughes had one assist and three shots in 19:55 after being scratched as a precautionary measure for a groin injury on Friday. … Hischier became the second Swiss-born player in NHL history to record multiple hat tricks in a season, joining Timo Meier (two in 2021-22).