Jesper Bratt’s overtime goal secured a dramatic 4-3 victory for the New Jersey Devils over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night, completing a comeback that highlighted the team’s resilience and perfect home record. The win made the Devils the first team to reach 10 victories this season, underscoring their strong start under coach Sheldon Keefe.
The game at Prudential Center featured intense back-and-forth action, with both teams exchanging leads before Bratt’s heroics in overtime. New Jersey’s ability to tie the game late in regulation and then win it in extra time demonstrated their offensive depth and clutch performance under pressure, much to the delight of the home crowd.
New Jersey opened the scoring early in the first period when Cody Glass, returning from a seven-game injury absence, intercepted a puck at the blue line and fired a snap shot past Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes at 1:53. However, Montreal responded quickly, as Kirby Dach deflected a Noah Dobson point shot past Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom just over a minute later to tie the game at 1-1.
In the second period, the Devils regained the lead when Ondrej Palat scored his first goal of the season at 8:05, capitalizing on a clever no-look backhand pass from defenseman Simon Nemec. Jack Hughes assisted on the play, recording his second helper of the game and continuing his productive season. The period also saw an injury concern for New Jersey, as defenseman Dougie Hamilton left with a lower-body injury and did not return.
Montreal mounted a strong comeback in the third period, tying the game 2-2 just 59 seconds in on a goal by Jake Evans, who beat Markstrom with a low shot from the right circle. Oliver Kapanen then put the Canadiens ahead 3-2 at 10:33, scoring on a backhand rebound in the slot after sustained pressure, putting Montreal in position for a road victory.
With time winding down, the Devils pulled Markstrom for an extra attacker, and Timo Meier scored the tying goal with 1:07 remaining in regulation. In a chaotic scramble in front of the net, Meier found the puck and tucked it past Dobes, sending the game to overtime and setting the stage for Bratt’s winner. Meier later praised the team’s character and emphasized the importance of learning from such close games.
In overtime, Bratt stole the puck and raced in on a breakaway, deking Dobes and sliding a backhander through his pads at 1:33 for the game-winning goal. Bratt commented postgame that he read the goalie’s movement and felt confident with his speed, showcasing his skill in critical moments. The goal capped a strong individual performance for Bratt, who also added an assist in the game.
The victory improved New Jersey to 10-4-0 and maintained their perfect 6-0-0 home record, while Montreal fell to 9-3-2 and saw their four-game point streak end. Markstrom made 16 saves for the win, and Dobes stopped 24 shots in the loss, with Dobes expressing disappointment despite support from teammates. Looking ahead, the Devils host Pittsburgh on Saturday, and the Canadiens begin a homestand against Utah, as both teams continue their NHL campaigns.