The recent clash between the New Jersey Devils and the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 16, 2025, was nothing short of thrilling
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! The game took place at the iconic Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs managed to edge out the Devils with a nail-biting 4-3 victory in overtime
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The Devils started strong, with Jack Hughes scoring the first goal of the game just 2:21 into the first period
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. Hughes’ goal came from a brilliant setup by defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic, who kept the puck in the offensive zone and found Hughes alone in front of the net
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. Hughes deked to the backhand and beat Maple Leafs’ goaltender Joseph Woll glove side
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However, the Maple Leafs quickly responded, tying the game at 1-1 just 4:14 later when William Nylander took a pass from Max Domi and shot high to the blocker side from the left face-off dot
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. The game remained intense, with both teams exchanging goals and showcasing their offensive prowess.
The Devils took a 2-1 lead in the second period when Nico Hischier scored on the power play, picking up the puck along the boards and skating to the left face-off dot to shoot low glove, using defenseman Conor Timmins as a screen
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. The Maple Leafs tied it again at 2-2 in the third period when Auston Matthews jammed in a rebound from Marner’s point shot
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The Devils regained the lead at 3-2 when Hischier scored his second goal of the game, taking a spinning pass from Timo Meier and shooting from the top of the goal crease on the power play
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. However, Matthews tied it again at 3-3 with just 4:15 remaining in the third period, scoring his second goal of the night with a high shot past Markstrom’s right ear
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The game went into overtime, where the Maple Leafs finally broke through with William Nylander scoring the game-winning goal just 1:10 into overtime
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. Nylander received a stretch pass from Mitch Marner at the offensive blueline and shot past Jacob Markstrom’s glove on a breakaway
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The Devils put up a valiant fight, with Hischier scoring both goals for New Jersey and Hughes adding a goal and two assists
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. Despite their efforts, the Maple Leafs’ strong puck control and numerous scoring chances ultimately led to their victory
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This game was particularly special for Devils’ head coach Sheldon Keefe, who was making his first return to Scotiabank Arena since being fired by the Maple Leafs last spring
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. Keefe, known for his humor, joked about falling to his old team and expressed his disappointment at not securing two points
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The Devils have played extra time in their last four straight games, going 1-0-3, and this overtime point was crucial for their playoff push
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. As of now, the Devils are holding on to the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings, with 58 points, while the Maple Leafs are in a strong position with 28 wins
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For more details and highlights, you can watch the full game recap on ESPN
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What did you think of the game? Were you rooting for one team in particular?
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National Hockey League
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www.nhl.com
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www.espn.com
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TheHockey Writers
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Yardbarker
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