Jack Hughes turned a tense finish into a New Jersey celebration, scoring the overtime winner against Philadelphia at Prudential Center. The Devils opened their season with a 3-2 victory, but not before both goaltenders faced dangerous chances and the Flyers pushed the game beyond regulation.
How the Game Played Out
The highlights began at a quick pace, with both teams testing the goalies early. Anthony Mantha and Jack Hughes generated a look for New Jersey, while Philadelphia answered with a sequence that forced Jake Allen into saves. The Flyers worked the puck through the middle and got another chance from close range, but Allen stayed with the play. At the other end, Wall turned aside attempts from the Devils, including a shot from Declan Chisum.
Philadelphia found a way to make its pressure count, with a shot redirected in front of Allen. The transcript captures the goal as a tip but does not clearly establish the scorer, so the moment belongs to the Flyers’ net-front work rather than an individual name. New Jersey kept pressing. The Devils worked the power play through Luke Hughes and Jack Hughes, with Wall making a left-pad stop on a Bratt attempt as Philadelphia cleared the puck.
The middle and later stages stayed close, with the teams exchanging chances and the goalies keeping the margin narrow. Allen made a particularly important stop on a Philadelphia chance in overtime after a puck took an awkward bounce near the net. Wall also came up with a key save on a Jack Hughes attempt, and later made another stop while the Devils attacked without giving up possession. The game reached its decisive sequence with both sides still creating danger.
In overtime, Philadelphia briefly took possession off the opening faceoff, but New Jersey soon turned the play around. Meyer and Heir threatened on a two-on-one, only for Wall to stop the shot. Allen then denied a chance in front after Sanheim moved the puck toward the net. With the Flyers trying to keep the puck away from New Jersey’s dangerous attackers, Jack Hughes intercepted it and drove the final play. He worked the puck with Bratt and finished the exchange himself, sending the crowd to its feet.
What the Result Means
For New Jersey, the win gives the Devils an opening-night result built around patience and a decisive finish. The highlights show chances at both ends, stretches of pressure from Philadelphia and key saves from Allen and Wall. Rather than allowing one dangerous sequence to settle the game, New Jersey stayed in it long enough for its overtime opportunity to arrive.
Philadelphia leaves with a narrow defeat after making the Devils work through regulation and generating a near-game-ending opportunity in overtime. The Flyers’ pressure and net-front presence were part of a contest that remained unsettled until Hughes’s final rush. With the season now underway, both teams can carry lessons from a close opener into their next games: New Jersey will look to build on its finish, while Philadelphia will aim to turn its chances into a different result.
Watch the Highlights
The video captures the game’s key chances, saves and the overtime finish, including the sequence that ended with Jack Hughes scoring the winner. Watch the highlights below for the decisive play and the pressure that preceded it.
Final Score: New Jersey Devils 3, Philadelphia Flyers 2.
Final Score: New Jersey Devils 3, Philadelphia Flyers 2.
Source: NHL game data + NHL highlights transcript