Devils clip Sabres to clinch first playoff berth since 2018

Jack Hughes had a purpose and an help, Mackenzie Blackwood had 25 saves and the New Jersey Devils defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-3 and clinched a playoff berth on Saturday evening at Prudential Middle in Newark.

New Jersey might have clinched its first postseason berth since 2018 with a win, however it occurred earlier than their first intermission when the Florida Panthers misplaced to the New York Rangers in regulation.

Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer and Dougie Hamilton scored for the Devils and Tomas Tatar scored an empty netter with 42.3 seconds left to place issues away.

Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Mark Kastelic scored for the Senators and Dylan Ferguson had 30 saves.

Tkachuk scored his thirty third purpose of the season to provide the Senators the 1-0 lead 3:14 into the primary interval. The Devils responded halfway by means of the primary interval with Hughes’ fortieth purpose of the season on a breakaway, going five-hole to tie it.

Nick Holden gave the puck away and Bratt scored his thirty first purpose of the season on the breakaway 2:24 into the second interval to provide New Jersey the 2-1 lead. Mercer’s twenty third of the season got here simply over a minute later.

The Senators answered halfway by means of the second interval when Thomas Chabot scored his eleventh purpose of the 12 months to chop the deficit to 3-2. They knotted issues up 16:03 into the second when Kastelic scored his fifth of the season.

Hamilton scored 3:34 into the third interval to provide the Devils the lead. His nineteenth purpose breaks the franchise file for objectives in a season by a defenseman, surpassing Scott Stevens – the Devils nice whose quantity is hanging within the rafters – file of 18 in 1993-94.

NOTES: This was the primary recreation for the Devils backup Blackwood since Feb. 19. … Nico Hischier has a six-game level streak after recording two assists.