Hamilton scores 2 power-play goals as Devils beat Sharks 3-1 for 7th straight win

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Dougie Hamilton scored twice and the New Jersey Devils beat the San Jose Sharks 3-1 on Friday night for their seventh straight win.

Connor Brown also scored and Nico Hischier had two assists for New Jersey, which hasn’t lost since a season-opening defeat at Carolina. Jake Allen stopped 16 shots to improve to 4-0-0.

William Eklund scored for San Jose, which was coming off a 6-5 overtime win at the New York Rangers that snapped a season-opening six-game losing streak (0-4-2). Yaroslav Askarov finished with 27 saves.

Trailing 1-0 after one period, the Devils took the lead with two power-play goals by Hamilton in the first half of the second.

During an advantage that carried over from the closing seconds of the opening period, the puck came to Hamilton in the left circle after a scramble in front and he fired it into the top left corner while Askarov was down on the ice at 40 seconds to tie it.

On the Devils’ next power play, Hughes brought the puck around the back of the net and passed to Hamilton in the slot for a quick shot past Askarov at 9:08 for a 2-1 lead. It marked the third time in his career Hamilton has scored a pair of power-play goals.

San Jose was outshot 13-0 in the middle period.

Brown capped the scoring with an empty-netter for his fourth of the season with 47 seconds remaining.

The Sharks got on the scoreboard with an early power-play goal. With Nico Hischier off for tripping, Macklin Celebrini — coming off a three-goal, two-assist night in the win against the Rangers the previous night— lost the puck and it came to Eklund and he gathered it and put it past Allen for his second of the season 2:25 into the game.

Up next

Sharks: At Minnesota on Sunday to finish a four-game trip.

Devils: Host Colorado on Sunday to open a home-and-home set.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL