The Devils extinguish the Bruins

Hughes ends it in overtime, Boston goes dark

First against third

Last season's first-place club met the third. The Boston Bruins came to Prudential Center in Newark with two flames already out behind them: they had snuffed the Blue Jackets on qualification night and the Panthers in the round of 16. The New Jersey Devils had doused the Canadiens and then the Islanders. This was a quarterfinal, and one of these two candles would not leave the shelf lit.

Batted out of the air

Boston struck first. Morgan Geekie fired a wrist shot at 16:51 of the 1st, set up by James van Riemsdyk and Danton Heinen. After that, Jeremy Swayman held the Devils off for 25:43.

Dawson Mercer broke through at 2:34 of the 3rd, and he did it by batting the puck out of the air. Erik Haula and Alexander Holtz had the assists. It was 1-1, and neither side scored again in regulation.

Hughes in overtime

At the other end, Vitek Vanecek stopped 23 of the 24 shots Boston put on him. Swayman made 33 saves on 35 and still came up one short. At 2:47 of overtime, Jack Hughes beat him with a wrist shot, with Jesper Bratt and Vanecek himself picking up the assists. The Bruins' flame was out, and seven still burn on the shelves. New Jersey's is one of them.