Jack Hughes is on absolute fire right now, lighting up the scoreboard with a hat trick Tuesday night to power the New Jersey Devils to their sixth straight win. The Devils topped the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2, and Hughes made it look easy.
That’s five goals in his last two games for the 24-year-old star. Even more impressive? He’s found the back of the net six times in his last three outings.
The Devils are loving life when Hughes gets hot. They’re 3-0 when he scores this season and 2-1 when he doesn’t.
It’s quite a turnaround for Hughes, who started the season without scoring in New Jersey’s first three games. Now he’s right up there with the NHL’s top scorers, just behind Mark Scheifele (Jets), Shane Pinto (Senators), and Pavel Dorofeyev (Golden Knights), who each have seven goals.
Remember when Hughes exploded for 43 goals and 56 assists back in 2022-23? That magical 99-point season showed everyone what the former No. 1 draft pick could really do.
The last couple years have been a bit different though. He’s settled into a groove of 27 goals each season – still pretty good, but not quite matching that breakout year. Before his big season, he put up 26.
Now the big question is: Can Hughes keep this incredible pace going?
If he does, the Devils might be more than just a team fighting for a playoff spot. They could end up being one of the teams to beat when spring rolls around.
