Jack Hughes delivered the finish, but the Devils needed a full-game push to get there.
New Jersey opened its season Thursday night in Newark with a 3-2 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers, and Hughes ended it 1:37 into the extra period after turning a turnover into a game-winner. He stripped Travis Sanheim behind the Devils net, surged up ice, and fed Jesper Bratt as the two closed in on the crease. Bratt sent it right back, and Hughes buried the puck into an open net while Flyers goalie Joseph Woll had already shifted toward Bratt.
The Devils also got goals from Dougie Hamilton and Luke Hughes, while Jake Allen turned aside 23 shots to help New Jersey rally back. The win gave the Devils their season-opening victory for the fourth time in six years.
Philadelphia struck first when Ristolainen put the Flyers ahead with 8:48 left in the opening period. He screened Allen and then redirected Sanheim’s shot from the blue line past the Devils goalie.
Hamilton answered late in the second. With 2:02 left in the period, he gathered the puck at the top of the right faceoff circle and snapped a shot through traffic, with Jamie Drysdale, Cam York and Devils winger Anthony Mantha all helping to block Woll’s view.
The Flyers moved back in front 5:33 into the third when Sanheim added his second point of the night. His shot from above the left faceoff circle slipped beyond Allen’s glove.
New Jersey responded again just over three minutes later. Luke Evangelista spun away from Ristolainen and slipped a sharp pass to Luke Hughes just beyond center ice. Hughes carried into the slot and beat Woll stick side to tie it at 2-2.
Woll finished with 41 saves for Philadelphia, which is winless through two games for the second straight season.
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