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Devils Superstar Can’t Stop Scoring Against Rangers

The New Jersey Devils steamrolled the New York Rangers with their superstar forward leading the way.

Nick Horwat

Dec 23, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
Dec 23, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers during the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images / Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
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The New York Rangers are one of the NHL's worst teams at the moment, but that doesn’t mean the rival New Jersey Devils will go easy on them. Devils superstar forward Jack Hughes even decided to turn it up a notch ahead of the NHL’s holiday break.

In the Devils' recent 5-0 win over the struggling Rangers, Hughes scored two goals plus an assist for a three-point afternoon. Scoring against the Rangers is nothing new for Hughes, either.

This was Hughes’ 22nd career regular season meeting against the Rangers. In those 22 games, Hughes has picked up 15 goals and 11 assists for 26 total points. Even in seven career playoff games against the Rangers, Hughes is a menace to Manhattan.

Hughes has posted three goals and two assists for five points in seven postseason games against the Rangers.

The most recent meeting was all Hughes and the Devils. The Rangers tried to get themselves going early with Vincent Trocheck dropping the gloves with Paul Cotter a little under four minutes into the game. Hughes made sure to dampen any momentum built by the Rangers from that opening fight.

About 30 seconds after Trocheck and Cotter were given five-minute majors, Hughes opened the scoring with his 14th goal of the season.

On a power play opportunity about half way through the second frame, Hughes collected a perfect feed from his brother, defenseman Luke Hughes, and Jack had a whole net to work with.

Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick couldn’t follow the pass fast enough, and Hughes found the back of the net before he could reposition himself in the crease.

Hughes and the Devils showed no mercy in their 5-0 win as the Rangers’ losing skid extends to 4-13-0 in their last 17 games. The Devils meanwhile will enter their holiday break atop the Metropolitan Division with a 23-11-3 record.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

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