Timo Meier’s 200th career NHL goal proved to be the winner as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Seattle Kraken 3-2 on Friday in Newark, N.J.
Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Luke Hughes also scored for the Devils, who won their second straight game and prevailed for the sixth time in eight. Jack Hughes had two assists and New Jersey goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves.
Andre Burakovsky and Shane Wright scored for Seattle, which had a two-game winning streak snapped. Philipp Grubauer was the hard-luck loser after stopping 33 of 36 shots.
Meier broke a 2-all tie just 53 seconds into the third period. Grubauer stopped Brenden Dillon’s initial shot from the high slot but couldn’t control the rebound. Seattle defenseman Vince Dunn tried to sweep the puck out of the crease, but instead hit the right post and the puck remained in the blue paint, where Meier reached around Grubauer to knock it into the net.
The Kraken opened the scoring at 10:16 of the first period as Burakovsky, a healthy scratch on the first two games of the trip, took a pass from Dunn and skated down the right wing and over the blue line. Burakovsky then cut through the slot, skating through three defenders before putting a shot into the upper right corner of the net.
The Devils tied it at 12:27 of the first. Luke Hughes took a cross-ice pass from brother Jack and put a one-timer into the upper near corner of the net from a sharp angle on the left wing.
Seattle regained the lead on a power play at 3:41 of the second. Wright made a diving stop to keep the puck in the offensive zone and the Kraken cycled the puck to Eeli Tolvanen in the right corner. Tolvanen spotted Wright skating alone down the slot and fed him for a one-timer.
New Jersey tied it at 2-2 at 8:03 of the second. Grubauer made a blocker save on a blistering shot by Bratt from just outside the right faceoff dot, but the rebound deflected off Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson and into the net.
The assist gives Dunn five points (goal, four assists) in four games since missing six weeks with a mid-body injury.
–Field Level Media
