Nemec's Hat Trick OT Winner Snaps Blackhawks' Streak After Bedard's Opening Strike

 

Photo: Andrew MacLean

This highly anticipated clash of momentum-driven teams delivered a thrilling 4-3 overtime contest, but the New Jersey Devils ultimately prevailed over the Chicago Blackhawks. The victory was secured spectacularly by Devils defenseman Simon Nemec, who delivered a stunning hat trick—a rare feat for a blueliner—completing the performance with the game-winning goal at 3:28 of the extra frame. While the hard-fought loss put an end to the Blackhawks’ impressive three-game winning streak, Chicago earned a critical point thanks to their star, Connor Bedard, who opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the first period. The Devils' offense was fueled by the passing of Jack Hughes, who recorded two key assists on the night, making a decisive difference in the visitors' high-scoring effort.

New Jersey Devils Lineup:

Gritsyuk - Hughes - Mercer

Meier - Hischier - Bratt

Palat - Glass - Noesen

Cotter - Glendening - MacEwen

Siegenthaler - Nemec

Dillon - Hughes

Cholowski - White

Markstrom

Allen

Chicago Blackhawks Lineup:

Bertuzzi - Bedard - Moore

Mikheyev - Greene - Teravainen

Slaggert - Foligno - Lafferty

Dach - Donato

Vlasic - Crevier

Kaiser - Levshunov

Grzelcyk - Murpy

Rinzel

Knight

Late into the first period, Connor Bedard opened the scoring 1-0, extending his point streak to nine games with 1:25 left to play in the first. He scored on a 5-on-3 power play when Tyler Bertuzzi, who was on the right side of the net, passed to Bedard, who was outside of the left circle. Bedard passed it across to Teuvo Teravainen, who sent a cross-ice pass to Bedard from the right for a gorgeous one-timer from the left face-off circle.

Simon Nemec found the back of the net to tie it 1-1 with 15 seconds to go in the middle frame after Nico Hischier drove through the Blackhawks' zone. Nemec went after him and took Hischier's drop pass, moved through the slot, and scored a backhanded goal on Spencer Knight. In the second period, the Devils outshot the Blackhawks 14-3. In the second period, Knight saved on two breakaways, denying both Jack Hughes and Hischier.

Landon Slaggert put Chicago back in front 2-1 when he put in his first goal of the season past Jacob Markstrom at 16:55 in the third period when Nick Foligno, who was up in the right corner, sent the puck down to Louis Crevier, who fired from the right point, and Slaggert tipped it in. With a one-timer from the left circle, Dawson Mercer scored his ninth goal of the season at 9:47, tying it back up 2-2 when he took a cross-ice pass from Jack Hughes and went on to score short side while falling to one knee. Sam Lafferty put the Blackhawks ahead 3-2 at 6:26, recording his first goal of the season when he went across the slot, scoring on a backhand after moving into the offensive zone, then dodging Luke Hughes while going across the slot. Nemec picked up his second of the night, knotting it back up 3-3 with 3:46 left to go of regulation when he took a cross-ice pass from Stefan Noesen, tapping it in at the left post to go into overtime.

With 1:32 remaining in overtime, Nemec finished his hat trick to get the 4-3 win for New Jersey after taking a stretch pass from Markstrom and moving into the zone, beating Knight on the glove side.

Simon Nemec on his hat trick, what he liked most about the Devils playing without two forwards/how they approached it, and Jack's pass to set up Nemec's second goal: "Unreal. I mean, like, that was probably my first hat trick in my career... I was never like a shooter or scoring guy, so yeah, I'm glad for that, but obviously, great team win. We were down like 3 times, I think, and we won, so it's good." - "We got great players, and it was really hard for the forwards, but they did a great job. It wasn't an easy game, like you know, they're a fast team, but I think we did overall a great job. ...That was unreal. That's just Jack. Just give him the puck and he finds you, or me, or someone. When he's open, you always want to give him a puck."

Notes:

- Jack Hughes picked up a pair of assists. ...Both Nick Foligno and Louis Crevier collected two assists.

- Connor Bedard's game-opening goal extended his goal-scoring streak to four games and his point streak to nine; 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists), which ties his career long, set last season.

- Jacob Markstrom made a total of 17 saves for New Jersey, and Spencer Knight made a total of 33 saves for Chicago.

- The Devils are 12-4-1, having won three of their past four. Each of those games went into overtime.

- Dating back to the 2022-23 season, the Devils have won seven straight against the Blackhawks.

- The Blackhawks are 8-5-4 and have won three straight.

- Simon Nemec is the eighth defenseman in League history to cap a regular-season hat trick with an overtime goal. He's the first since Jakob Chychrun (April 4, 2021). Nemec, who's 21, is the youngest to do so, besting Chychrun (23 years, four days).

- Landon Slaggert was recalled from Rockford of the AHL earlier in the day, taking the spot of Andre Burakovsky, who missed the game due to an undisclosed injury.

- Ryan Donato skated in his 500th NHL career game.

- New Jersey played most of the game without both Zack MacEwen and Cody Glass. MacEwen took a hit in the first from Connor Murphy and did not return... he had just missed 13 straight games with an upper-body injury before making a return to the Devils' lineup on Monday to play against the New York Islanders. Glass went into the boards in the final minute of the first, returned for the second period, but ended up leaving for the locker room again after a shift.