When the New Jersey Devils lost Jack Hughes early in Tuesday night’s game, the challenge ahead became crystal clear. With Hughes sidelined by an undisclosed injury - one that head coach Sheldon Keefe doesn’t expect to be serious - the Devils were suddenly without their top offensive weapon and dangerously thin down the middle.
Cody Glass also went down that night, leaving Nico Hischier as the lone top-nine center available. In a season already defined by inconsistency and injuries, this was another gut punch.
But Hischier didn’t blink. Instead, he embraced the moment - and then some.
On Thursday, the Devils leaned on their captain like never before, and he delivered. Hischier logged more than 26 minutes of ice time, far and away the most of any Devils skater.
The next closest? Defenseman Johnny Kovacevic at 21:25.
That’s a gap of over 3 ½ minutes - a massive difference in NHL terms, especially for a forward. It was a clear sign: Keefe trusted Hischier to carry the weight, and the 25-year-old center responded with a performance that kept New Jersey’s faint playoff hopes alive.
And when the game was on the line, it was Hischier who rose to the occasion once again.
In overtime, with the Devils regaining possession, Hischier found just enough space and let a shot rip from distance. It was a bold choice - one he later admitted was “risky” - but it paid off in the best possible way. The puck flew past Predators netminder Justus Annunen, sealing a dramatic win and sending a jolt of energy through a team that desperately needed one.
“Just took my chance, I guess,” Hischier said after the game. “In overtime, we just got the puck back. That’s definitely a risky shot.”
Risky? Sure.
But also clutch. It was the kind of moment that defines leaders - and seasons.
The Devils needed that win badly. With the Islanders pulling off a gritty win over the Rangers, the Hurricanes storming back from a 4-2 hole to win late, and the Penguins steamrolling the Blackhawks, the playoff race in the East isn’t slowing down. Every point matters, and for a team like the Devils - currently sitting nine points out of a Wild Card spot with just 28 games left - the margin for error is razor-thin.
They’re going to need a near-perfect run down the stretch, and even that might not be enough. Realistically, the Devils need either the Islanders (who just acquired Ondrej Palat from New Jersey) or the Penguins to stumble significantly after the Olympic break.
That’s a tall order. But if Hischier continues to play at this level - and if Hughes returns healthy - there’s at least a path forward, however narrow it may be.
This win doesn’t erase the uphill climb the Devils face. But it does prove something important: they’re not quitting. And with their captain stepping up when it matters most, they’re still swinging.
For now, that’s all they can do.