NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — All-Star Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist for his first points since being injured in early January, Nico Daws made 27 saves and the suddenly defensive-minded New Jersey Devils beat Seattle 3-1 on Monday night, handing the Kraken their third-straight loss.
Tyler Toffoli and Dawson Mercer also scored for New Jersey, which swept the two-game season series with Seattle. The Devils have allowed one regulation goal in the last two games, losing to Carolina 1-0 on Saturday.
Defenseman Will Borgen scored halfway through the third period to deny Daws his first career shutout and the Devils’ first of the season. Joey Daccord kept the Kraken in the game, making 34 saves.
Leading 1-0 entering the second period, Hughes and Mercer scored in the opening five minutes of the second period to give New Jersey a cushion the rest of the way.
Hughes, who sustained an upper-body injury on Jan. 5 against Chicago and missed 11 games, banked a bad-angle shot off the facemask of Daccord for a 2-0 lead at 48 seconds. Erik Haula set up the shot with a steal off the stick of Matty Beniers as he staked out of his own end.
Mercer put the rebound of a Timo Meier shot past Daccord for his 15th goal.
Devils rookie Simon Nemec lost a goal later in the second period when a Seattle challenge was upheld because Haula interfered with Daccord in the crease on the shot.
Toffoli had the only goal in the first, scoring on a power play 21 seconds after Seattle was called for too many men on the ice. It was his team-high 22nd of the season and was set up Nico Hischier and Hughes.
The Kraken played most of the game without defenseman Brian Dumoulin, who was hurt in a collision with Meier.
