Andreas Johnsson notched two goals and two assists Sunday night for the host New Jersey Devils, who pulled away in the third period to beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-2, in Newark, N.J.
Jesper Bratt scored the game-winner shortly after the midway point of the third for the Devils, who won for just the second time in seven games (2-3-2). Dougie Hamilton scored in the first and Nathan Bastian added a goal in the third. Goalie Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves.
Scott Laughton and Joel Farabee scored for the Flyers, who have lost six straight (0-4-2). Goalie Martin Jones recorded 30 saves.
Hamilton put the Devils up on an extended second chance early in the first. After his shot caromed off the crossbar, Hamilton headed to the edge of the slot, where he put down his stick and redirected Johnsson’s shot past Jones at the 5:07 mark.
The Flyers tied the score with a short-handed goal a little less than 12 minutes later. Ivan Provorov poked the puck free from a gaggle of players in the Philadelphia zone and dished up the ice to Laughton, who had a step on P.K. Subban. The Devils’ defenseman tried but couldn’t poke the puck free as Laughton bore in on Blackwood and beat him with 2:57 left.
Johnsson’s persistence was rewarded with his go-ahead goal 1:47 into the second. The left winger was turned back twice by Jones, first on a breakaway and then on the immediate rebound attempt, but Bratt picked off Rasmus Ristolainen’s pass and dished to Johnsson, who fired a shot over Jones’ stick hand.
Laughton stole the puck from Pavel Zacha behind the Devils’ net and fed Farabee for the point-blank, game-tying goal 3:04 into the third.
But New Jersey returned the favor on Bratt’s game-winner, which was set up when Provorov couldn’t corral a pass from Ristolainen deep in the Philadelphia zone. Johnsson picked up the puck and passed to Bratt, who shuffled to the backhand and scored with 8:03 left.
Hamilton’s nifty feed near the crease set up Bastian’s insurance goal with 5:46 left. Johnsson added an empty-netter with 2:56 remaining.
–Field Level Media
