Devils rally late to defeat Blackhawks

Dougie Hamilton and Jack Hughes score 19 seconds apart in third period comeback

Mar. 30, 2026 at 7:25am

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The New Jersey Devils rallied from a late 3-2 deficit, scoring two goals in 19 seconds to defeat the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 on Sunday evening. Dougie Hamilton tied the game with a wrist shot at 14:32 of the third period, and Jack Hughes scored the go-ahead goal on a breakaway just 19 seconds later to give the Devils the lead. Hughes added an empty-net goal in the final minute to seal the victory.

Why it matters

The win was an important one for the Devils, who are fighting for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The late comeback showed the team's resilience and ability to battle back from a deficit. For the struggling Blackhawks, the loss extended their recent skid and kept them near the bottom of the standings.

The details

The Blackhawks opened the scoring in the first period when Ilya Mikheyev capitalized on a mistake by Devils goaltender Jake Allen. The Devils tied it on a power-play goal by Connor Brown, but the Blackhawks regained the lead later in the period on a goal by Frank Nazar. Simon Nemec evened the score at 2-2 in the second period, but Nazar scored again on a 5-on-3 power play to put Chicago up 3-2 in the third. That's when the Devils mounted their late comeback, with Hamilton and Hughes scoring the tying and go-ahead goals in quick succession.

  • The game was played on Sunday, March 30, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey.
  • The Blackhawks took a 1-0 lead at 4:19 of the first period.
  • The Devils tied the game at 1-1 on a power-play goal by Connor Brown at 11:15 of the first period.
  • The Blackhawks regained the lead at 13:11 of the first period on a goal by Frank Nazar.
  • Simon Nemec tied the game at 2-2 at 15:48 of the second period.
  • Frank Nazar scored on a 5-on-3 power play to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 lead at 10:51 of the third period.
  • Dougie Hamilton tied the game at 3-3 with 5:28 remaining in the third period.
  • Jack Hughes scored the go-ahead goal for the Devils just 19 seconds later at 14:51 of the third period.
  • Hughes added an empty-net goal with 31 seconds left to seal the 5-3 victory.

The players

Dougie Hamilton

A defenseman for the New Jersey Devils who scored the game-tying goal late in the third period.

Jack Hughes

A forward for the New Jersey Devils who scored the go-ahead goal and an empty-net goal to seal the victory.

Frank Nazar

A forward for the Chicago Blackhawks who scored two goals in the game.

Ilya Mikheyev

A forward for the Chicago Blackhawks who scored the opening goal of the game.

Jake Allen

The goaltender for the New Jersey Devils who made 28 saves in the game.

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What they’re saying

“We never gave up and kept battling back. That's the kind of team we are - we don't quit and we find a way to win, even when we're down late.”

— Jack Hughes, Forward, New Jersey Devils

“It's tough to lose a game like that after playing so well for most of the night. We had our chances but just couldn't hold on at the end.”

— Frank Nazar, Forward, Chicago Blackhawks

What’s next

The Devils will look to build on this comeback win as they continue their push for a playoff spot, while the Blackhawks will try to regroup and end their recent skid.

The takeaway

The Devils' late-game heroics showed the team's resilience and ability to battle back from adversity, an important quality for a team fighting for a postseason berth. For the Blackhawks, the loss was a tough one, but they will need to learn from it and find a way to close out games if they hope to turn their season around.