Jack Hughes delivers in overtime, closing in on a Devils great

Jack Hughes finished a three-point night with the overtime winner as the New Jersey Devils beat the Detroit Red Wings 5–4 at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday, October 13. His breakaway goal at 1:19 of overtime came from a Jesper Bratt pass and gave New Jersey its third win of the season.

It was Hughes’ 11th regular-season overtime goal for the Devils. Only Patrik Elias, with 16, has more. Both of Hughes’ goals this season have settled games in overtime, following his winner against Philadelphia in New Jersey’s opener.

Two assists before the deciding goal

Hughes received the secondary assist on Nico Hischier’s power-play goal at 10:16 of the second period, which put New Jersey ahead 3–2. Bratt had the primary assist. Detroit tied it before Hughes picked up another secondary assist on Bratt’s goal at 16:52, with Jonas Siegenthaler getting the first assist.

Alex DeBrincat’s second goal of the night tied the game 4–4 in the third period. Hughes then supplied the final answer after Bratt sent him through the middle in overtime. Hughes finished with a goal, two assists and eight shots on goal in 23:31 of ice time. Bratt also had a goal and two assists.

The distinction between the assists matters when watching the highlights. Hughes was credited on both second-period scoring plays, but Bratt and Siegenthaler made the last passes. In overtime, the roles changed: Bratt supplied the pass and Hughes finished the chance against John Gibson.

Where Hughes stands among New Jersey’s scorers

The three points brought Hughes to 436 in 435 regular-season games, all with New Jersey. That puts him just above a point per game over his Devils career. Among players with at least 200 regular-season appearances for New Jersey, his scoring rate leads the field.

This is a scoring-rate comparison, rather than a list of the most productive Devils by total points. Elias accumulated 1,025 points in 1,240 games, a much longer record than Hughes has built. Hall’s 208 points came in 211 New Jersey appearances; his production with other teams does not enter this comparison.

The 200-game minimum also matters. It keeps brief stays from dominating a list intended to compare players with a substantial New Jersey record. These figures include regular-season goals and assists, with playoff appearances counted separately.

Elias remains the overtime benchmark

Hughes is five overtime goals behind Elias. His latest winner moved his season total to eight points in six games, including seven points over his last four appearances. That four-game stretch began with a point against Utah, followed by two against Vancouver, one against Ottawa and three in Detroit.

The Devils still needed to recover after losing 4–1 to Ottawa the previous night. They led twice in the second period against Detroit and were brought back each time. Hughes’ finish secured the extra point after New Jersey had been unable to hold a one-goal lead through regulation.

Evan Rodrigues and Anthony Mantha each added a goal and an assist, while Jake Allen made 23 saves. New Jersey finished the night 3–3–0. DeBrincat had two goals and an assist for Detroit, which fell to 1–3–2.