Devils Tie It Late in 3rd, Edge Canadiens in Overtime
Jesper Bratt scored on a breakaway 1:33 into overtime, lifting the New Jersey Devils to a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at the Prudential Center on Thursday. Bratt also contributed an assist, while Jack Hughes recorded two assists as the Devils improved their home record to an undefeated 6-0-0 and overall to 10-4-0.
Key Moments and Performances
- Timo Meier scored with 1:07 remaining in the third period to tie the game, setting up the overtime win.
- Jacob Markstrom made 16 saves for New Jersey.
- Noah Dobson posted two assists for Montreal.
- Jakub Dobes made 24 saves for the Canadiens, who have a 9-3-2 record.
"I just tried to read the goalie's movement and felt like I came in with a lot of speed," said Jesper Bratt. "I felt pretty comfortable in that situation to try to make him believe I'd do one thing, and just try to read what the goalie was doing."
"It's nice to get 10 wins, but we want to keep building our game," Devils forward Timo Meier said. "We know what we're trying to accomplish on a daily basis to get better and push each other. This game was a good game to learn from."
Canadiens Goalie Reacts
Jakub Dobes, the 24-year-old rookie goaltender, became emotional speaking to the media after the game. Despite making 24 saves and boasting a 1.97 goals-against average with a .930 save percentage in his first six starts, Dobes took responsibility for the loss.
The Canadiens had won their first five overtime games this season before this defeat.
Author's summary: Jesper Bratt’s overtime breakaway secured the Devils’ undefeated home streak, while the Canadiens’ rookie goalie showed heart but couldn’t prevent New Jersey from claiming their 10th win.