New Jersey Devils Defeat Rangers 4-0 as Hischier, Meier, and Markstrom Lead the Way

On Saturday, April 6, the New Jersey Devils earned a clear 4-0 win against the New York Rangers at Prudential Center. This was the last regular season game between the two division rivals. With the victory, the Devils took the season series three games to one. The result also moved New Jersey to a 41-29-7 record and extended their winning streak to three games.

The Devils’ offense took control in the second period. Timo Meier opened the scoring during a power play after Rangers forward Sam Carrick received a penalty for interference on Stefan Noesen. Just three seconds into the advantage, Devils captain Nico Hischier won the faceoff and sent the puck to Luke Hughes at the blue line. Hughes passed to Meier, who took a quick shot that beat Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, marking his 23rd goal of the season.

Later in the same period, Meier and Dawson Mercer received penalties—Meier for cross-checking and Mercer for tripping. Despite being short-handed, the Devils added to their lead. Brenden Dillon collected the puck and passed it to Hischier, who skated up ice with Jesper Bratt. On a two-on-one play, Hischier sent the puck to Bratt, who scored to make it 2-0. This goal was the Devils’ seventh short-handed goal of the season.

Moving into the third period, Meier scored his second goal of the game. Mercer carried the puck through the neutral zone and passed to Meier, who took a shot from the boards. Shesterkin made the save and then blocked a follow-up shot from Seamus Casey. However, Meier picked up the rebound and scored. That gave him 24 goals and 25 assists on the season, bringing him to 49 points. Although he had no points in his previous four games, this effort showed a return to form.

The Devils’ final goal came with under two minutes left. With Shesterkin pulled for the extra attacker, Hischier scored an empty-net goal. It was his third point of the game after assisting on the first two goals. Hischier now has 35 goals and 31 assists for a total of 66 points in 71 games. Over his last 12 games, he has scored nine goals and added eight assists. He is also on a three-game point streak with five goals and two assists in that stretch.

On defense, New Jersey stayed disciplined. The team killed all three Rangers power plays, which all came in the second period. During one of those penalties, they scored the short-handed goal. This showed strong play even while down a man. The Devils now have a 13-7-3 record against teams in the Metropolitan Division.

In goal, Jacob Markstrom earned his fourth shutout of the season. He made key saves and looked sharp throughout. It was also his second shutout against the Rangers this season—the first was on December 23, also at Prudential Center. Markstrom now has four straight wins. After returning from injury following the 4 Nations Faceoff, he seems to have regained form.

On the other side, the Rangers came into the game needing points to stay in the playoff race. They had won two games in a row and were only two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final playoff spot. However, they struggled in this game. The Rangers are now 11-10-1 against the Metropolitan Division and 5-4-1 in their last ten games. They are 30-10-5 when scoring at least three goals, but they could not find the net in this one.

Vincent Trocheck, who scored the game-winner in overtime against the Minnesota Wild earlier in the week, has been strong for the Rangers with 22 goals and 30 assists. He has reached 20 or more goals for four seasons in a row. Still, he could not help generate offense in this game.

The Rangers were without Adam Edstrom, Arthur Kaliyev, and Matt Rempe due to injury. For the Devils, Jonas Siegenthaler, Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, and Cody Glass were out, with Glass listed as day-to-day.

Jesper Bratt, who scored the short-handed goal, continues to lead the team in points with 86. In March alone, he had three goals and 15 assists across 18 games. Against the Rangers this season, Bratt now has two goals and five assists in four games. His 86 points are a new career high, passing the 83 he had last season.

This win over the Rangers came at the right time. With strong games from their top players and solid play in all areas, the Devils showed they are serious about the postseason. If Hischier, Meier, Bratt, and Markstrom continue at this level, New Jersey could carry this momentum into the playoffs.