CHICAGO (AP) —Defenseman Simon Nemec scored his third goal of the game at 3:28 of the overtime to lift the New Jersey Devils to a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
Dawson Mercer also scored and Jack Hughes had two assists for Eastern Conference-leading Devils, 3-0-1 in their last four. Jacob Markstrom stopped 17 shots.
Chicago’s Connor Bedard scored for the fourth straight game and extended his points streak to a career-high nine games, with eight goals and 11 assists in the run. Landon Slaggert connected after being recalled from Rockford of the AHL on Wednesday, Sam Lafferty added a highlight reel goal for his first point of the season and Spencer Knight made 33 saves.
In the extra period, the 21-year-old Nemec took a stretch pass from Markstrom, raced in and beat Knight high on the glove side for his first career hat trick. Nemec connected for the second straight game and recorded his first multi-goal outing after not scoring in his first 15 contests this season.
The Devils extended their winning streak against the Blackhawks to seven games.
Bedard opened the scoring with a 5-on-3 power-play goal with 1:25 left in the first period, firing with Markstrom down.
Knight sparkled in the second when New Jersey outshot Chicago 14-3 and 11-0 to close out the period. But Nemec broke in from the left side and tucked a backhander inside the post to tie it 1-all on the Devils’ 24th shot with 15 seconds left in the period.
Slaggert’s deflection at 3:05 of the third put Chicago back ahead. Mercer fired in a one-timer off Hughes’s pinpoint feed to tie it at 2 at 10:13
Lafferty sped in and put Chicago ahead 3-2 with 6:28 left in the third period. Set up by Hughes, Nemec tied it at 3 with a one-timer from the left side with 4:46 left in regulation.
Chicago’s Ryan Donatoskated in his 500th NHL game.
Up next
Devils: At Washington on Saturday.
Blackhawks: Host Toronto on Saturday.
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