Mercer scores twice, Devils hold off Blackhawks to end 3-game skid

CHICAGO – Dawson Mercer scored twice for the New Jersey Devils in a 5-3 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Wednesday.

“It was great, just what we needed for the start of the (three-game) road trip,” Mercer said. “Get two points under our belt and be happy with our game moving on now for the next. It’s great when everyone contributes and we get a win like that.”

Luke Hughes had three assists, and Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves for the Devils (38-28-7), who had lost three straight (0-2-1) and moved nine points ahead of the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Spencer Knight made 15 saves for the Blackhawks (21-42-9), who have lost eight of nine (1-7-1). Artyom Levshunov had two assists.

“I think we did a lot of things, just working on our game and getting better as the season comes to an end here,” Chicago forward Frank Nazar said. “Just fixing up some things and carrying the momentum into next season. I think there’s a lot more we still need to work on and a lot of things we need to come together as a team and do better. Just sticking together is the biggest part of that.”

Nathan Bastian gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 6:23 of the first period when he tipped in a centering pass from Hughes at the top of the crease. Bastian was a scratch in a 4-3 shootout loss against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday.

“You get taken out of the lineup because you’re just flat-out not playing well enough,” he said. “It’s unfortunate, but it kind of gives you a chance to reset. Sometimes guys need that, and they don’t know that they need that. I felt a little more jump today. I was excited to play. I was excited to get an opportunity to play, and it was really nice to make the most of it.”

Mercer made it 2-0 on the power play at 6:50 when he stuffed in the rebound of his initial attempt from in close.

“No one really knew [who scored],” said Mercer, who was at the net front with Timo Meier when the puck crossed the line. “Both of us shot, went at the net. I haven’t even looked at it yet. I believe there were more sticks in there, too, like them (the Blackhawks). There was a lot going on, but both of us were just happy it went in the net.”

Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the Blackhawks on the power play to cut the lead to 2-1 at 9:06. After Levshunov dove to keep the puck in at the blue line, Ryan Donato drove through the right circle and fed Bertuzzi for a tap in at the left post.

“Just tried to save the puck in the offensive zone and score a goal on the power play,” said Levshunov, who has four assists in eight NHL games since making his debut on March 10. “Yes, I’ve done it before, for sure. Second effort, yeah, I’ve got to save the puck in the offensive zone, and I did and we scored.”

Ondrej Palat made it 3-1 at 3:14 of the second period with a short-handed goal, taking a drop pass from Jesper Bratt in the right circle and scoring with a wrist shot.

Ilya Mikheyev brought Chicago to within 3-2 at 5:26, scoring from the slot after taking a backhand pass from Teuvo Teravainen.

Donato appeared to tie the game at 6:17, but the goal was disallowed after a video review determined his stick was over the crossbar on a redirect attempt.

“I thought it was really close,” Blackhawks coach Anders Sorensen said. “I’m surprised they overturned it because they called it a goal on the ice. We didn’t have any great angles. The one angle that we have it looks like it might be a little bit high. Since they called it a goal on the ice, we were a little surprised.”

Mercer’s power-play goal at 11:01 restored New Jersey’s two-goal lead. After taking a pass from Hughes, Mercer scored on a wrist shot from the left circle to make it 4-2.

Nazar cut the lead to 4-3 at 17:10 of the third period, finishing a rebound in front with Knight on the bench for an extra attacker.

Stefan Noesen scored an empty-net goal for the 5-3 final at 19:47.

“It was exactly what we needed,” Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said of the final few minutes of the game. “It’s great for us. We need to find our way through these situations. It was good.

“I liked that the intensity and the emotion and the urgency of the game really ratcheted up at the end and we had to find our way through that. That’s really important for us. So, to do that and still get the two points, I think is a good day for us.”

NOTES: Devils forward Cody Glass is not with the team at the start of their road trip because of an undisclosed injury. Keefe said Glass is being evaluated and could join the team at some point on the trip … Noesen recorded his first career 20-goal season and also tied his career high for points with 37. … Devils captain Nico Hischier had two assists to extend his point streak to eight games (four goals, six assists), which ties his career high set in 2022-23.