Here are some observations from the game:
• Devils center Jack Hughes left the game after playing just three shifts and 2:27 minutes of ice time. He did not return to play and the team didn’t provide an in-game update.
• Bratt tied the game, 2-2, halfway through the third period, but Dawson Mercer deserves the credit for this goal. As Nashville’s Cole Smith was trying to skate the puck out of his own zone, Mercer forced the issue and knocked the puck free. It happened to find the stick of Bratt, who had drifted in behind everybody. Bratt scored on the breakaway but that goal isn’t possible without Mercer’s effort.
The same can be said of the overtime winner. Forsberg had the puck below the Devils’ goal line and attempted a cross crease pass to Ryan O’Reilly on the other side. But Mercer intercepted the pass and then sent the puck up to Hischier for his OT winner.
• As for Bratt, incredible patience he displayed on his goal. He carried the puck across the crease as Justus Annunen took away the entire bottom. Bratt intended to go five-hole but it didn’t open. So, Bratt held onto the puck as he slipped well past the crease but he stayed with it. And as Annunen’s momentum carried him flat on the ice, Bratt, from a bit of distance, lifted the puck over the prone goalie for the tally.
Bratt: “(Mercer) doesn’t give up on the puck at all. He does everything to win that puck back and the puck bounces out perfectly for me. I tried to read the goalie and see what’s going on. I had a lot of space but not a lot of speed coming in. I did have time to move more lateral than you normally get to do. He’s a big goalie. I tried to get him exposed and laid down. Since I didn’t have a lot of speed
• Dougie Hamilton tied the game halfway through the second period with a beautiful shot. The play was started by Arseny Gritsyuk leading a rush out of the Devils zone. Lenni Hameenaho found Hamilton sneaking down the right side. Hamilton’s shot went rooftop over the glove goalie Justus Annunen.
• For Hamilton, he extends his point streak to nine games, posting a point in every game since being a healthy scratch. He has points in his last 10 games played for 11 total (2g-9a).
• Goalie Jacob Markstrom had one of his strongest showings of the season. He stopped 27 of 29 shots against, but was at his best in the second period. His best save came during a penalty kill when he came across to stop Steven Stamkos. After Stamkos faked a shot, Markstrom had to recover and managed to get a glove on the shot.
• New Devils forward Maxim Tsyplakov made his team debut on the night. But with the injury to Jack Hughes and a lot of line shuffling, Tsyplakov didn’t get much ice time. The Russian skated in just 8:18 ice time. The physical forward did throw five hits in that limited ice time.
Keefe: “Tough night for him. I liked some things in the first period. He was involved and trying to be physical. Once we lost Jack it was a mishmash back there. I just tried to juggle everyone and keep everybody going. Utilize our 11 forwards and move everyone around. I don’t like to do that. I don’t think it’s sustainable for three periods. It’s chaotic on the bench. You have to double guys up, players are playing out of position. We made a decision after the second period to play nine forwards and spot the others around. He gets lost in that shuffle a little bit. He didn’t get nearly the opportunity I was hoping to give him here today. But the circumstances, once we lost Jack I had to move some things around there.”