By MIKE COOK
ST. PAUL — Nico Hischier scored three targets for his second hat trick of the season and the New Jersey Devils beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2 on Saturday.
Paul Cotter and Tomas Tatar additionally scored, Jesper Bratt had two assists, and Jacob Markstrom stopped 22 pictures for the Devils. New Jersey received for the second time in six video games (2-3-1).
Marcus Foligno and Ryan Hartman scored and Filip Gustavsson made 28 saves for the Wild, who’ve misplaced three of 4.
Minnesota is tied with St. Louis for the highest wild card within the Western Convention, with the groups six factors forward of Vancouver. The Blues beat Colorado 2-1 Saturday for his or her ninth straight win.
After New Jersey was blanked 4-0 Friday in Winnipeg, Hischier scored 29 seconds into the sport and Cotter scored earlier than six minutes elapsed for a 2-0 lead.
Hischier made it 3-1 early within the third, however Hartman answered two minutes later for the Wild. Hischier accomplished his first three-goal sport since Nov. 25 with a power-play aim with 5:10 remaining. Hischier has a career-high 33 targets this season.
Foligno additionally had an help on Hartman’s aim within the third interval, and a serious for combating the Devils’ Jonathan Kovacevic for a Gordie Howe hat trick.
TAKEAWAYS
Devils: Hischier, whose first aim was the quickest to begin the sport for New Jersey this season, has factors in 10 of his final 11 video games with seven targets and 6 assists.
Wild: Minnesota completed 5-5-1 in a stretch in a stretch it performed 10 of 11 video games at house. 5 of the final eight video games are on the highway, the place the Wild are second within the NHL with 47 factors (22-11-3).
KEY MOMENT
New Jersey simply missed making it 3-1 with 15 seconds left within the second interval. On a 3-on-1 Bratt’s shot seemed to be entering into, nevertheless it went off the skate of teammate Timo Meier who was crossing on the fringe of the crease and the puck deflected vast.
KEY STAT
Per NHL Stats, Bratt’s two assists give him 15 this month, probably the most in a month by a Devils participant since Scott Gomez had 16 in March 2004. Bratt has a career-high 66 assists this season.
UP NEXT
Wild go to New Jersey on Monday to finish the home-and-home set.
