New Jersey Devils and Columbus Blue Jackets players fight for the puck during the second period of an NHL game Sunday in Newark, N.J.
AP photo
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New Jersey Devils celebrate after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets in an NHL game Sunday in Newark, N.J.
AP photo
Fans attend an NHL game between the New Jersey Devils and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday in Newark, N.J.
AP photo
NEWARK, N.J. — Fabian Zetterland scored late in the first period, Nico Hischier and defenseman Ryan Graves scored 33 seconds apart early in the second and Vitek Vanecek made 20 saves as the surging New Jersey Devils routed the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-1 on Sunday.
Defensemen John Marino and Jonas Siegenthaler, Jesper Bratt and Miles Wood also scored for New Jersey. Vanecek won his third straight.
The Devils bombarded the Blue Jackets with 53 shots and won for the sixth time in seven games after losing twice to start the season. Columbus lost its third in a row.
“This win shows character,” said Hischier, the Devils 23-year-old captain. ”We beat a great team (Colorado Avalanche on Friday) and then put it behind us … We came out to play today. It was an all-around fun game, every line played well.”
Zetterlund opened the scoring with about seven minutes left in the first with a rocket past Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins for his first of the season. Hischier drew the assist.
The Devils dominated the first, outshooting the visitors 20-5. Hischier made it 2-0 at 3:22 of the second with an unassisted goal to give him four goals and five assists in eight games this season.
Defenseman Ryan Graves netted his first of the season at 3:55, with assists from Jack Hughes and Bratt.
It extended Bratt’s season-opening points streak to nine games. And Hughes, who scored the lone goal in Friday’s 1-0 home win over the Avalanche, now has three goals and five assists.
“We’re locked into really playing our game and just playing it shift after shift and that’s the team game,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. ”You get in on the forecheck and you trust your forecheck and back your D up when they’re involved.”
Forward Yegor Chinakhov scored the lone goal for the Blue Jackets at 6:39 of the second. It was his second goal of the season.
Marino put the home team ahead 4-1 with an unassisted goal — his first of the season and first with New Jersey — with about 20 seconds left in the second. In the third period, Siegenthaler made it 5-1, Bratt increased the lead to 6-1 and Wood completed the scoring.
“We have to be better,” Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner said. ”Our battle level has to be better.”
Columbus is 3-7-0 to start the season, last in the Metropolitan Division.
“This one is on me,” Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen said. ”We’ve got to get back to the root of this team. This one is solely on me. I have to get them better prepared.”
The crowd at Prudential Center booed Columbus’ Johnny Gaudreau, a New Jersey native who spurned the Devils as a free agent last summer, every time he touched the puck.
RANGERS 3, COYOTES 2
TEMPE, Ariz. — Mika Zibanejad broke a tie in the third period, Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists and New York kept Arizona winless at Mullett Arena.
The Coyotes couldn’t capitalize on a raucous crowd in the opener at the 5,000-seat Arizona State University arena Friday night, losing 3-2 to Winnipeg in overtime.
New York pressured Arizona early despite playing the night before and went up on Alexis Lafreniere’s second-period goal. The Coyotes responded quickly on goals by Lawson Crouse and Nick Bjugstad, but the Rangers ramped up the pressure again. Igor Shesterkin stopped 18 shots for the Rangers.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2, JETS 1, OT
LAS VEGAS — Jack Eichel scored in overtime and Vegas beat Winnipeg to improve to 8-2-0.
Eichel circled the offensive zone for several seconds, darted through the crease and beat goalie Connor Hellebuyck with a nifty backhand.
Mark Stone tied it for Vegas in the third period, and Adin Hill made 24 saves.
Adam Lowry scored in regulation for the Jets. Hellebuyck stopped 46 shots.
DUCKS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 3, OT
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Trevor Zegras scored his second goal of the game at 2:15 of overtime and Anaheim beat Toronto to end a seven-game losing streak.
Zegras scored the first of two Ducks goals in the third period as Anaheim rallied from a 3-1 deficit. Jabob Silfverberg and Dmitry Kulikov also scored for Anaheim, which had not won since its opener against Seattle.
John Gibson made 32 saves for the Ducks, including a point-blank shot from Mitchell Marner seconds before Zegras’ winner. Auston Matthews, Denis Malgin and Calle Jarnkrok scored for the Maple Leafs.
WILD 4, BLACKHAWKS 3, SO
CHICAGO — Frederik Gaudreau scored on a backhander in the third round of a shootout to lift Minnesota past Chicago.
Kirill Kaprizov scored for the Wild in the second round. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in the shootout to help give Minnesota coach Dean Evason his 100th NHL victory.
Matt Boldy scored twice in regulation for Minnesota and rookie Mason Shaw had his first NHL goal. Fleury made 23 saves. Jake McCabe, Andreas Athanasiou and Toews scored for Chicago in regulation.