McLeod, Devils rally in 3rd period, defeat Blackhawks

Michael McLeod scored the go-ahead goal for the New Jersey Devils, who rallied in the third period for a 4-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Friday.

Simon Nemec and Alexander Holtz each had a goal and an assist, and Vitek Vanecek made 23 saves for the Devils (21-14-2), who have won five of their past six games and host the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

“We’re starting to find some chemistry and finding out what works for us,” McLeod said. “A lot of times, that’s just driving the middle and getting it down low and working the cycle game.”

But New Jersey lost Jack Hughes to an undisclosed injury late in the third period after he fell awkwardly. Devils coach Lindy Ruff did not have an update.

Connor Bedard left with an undisclosed injury in the first period for the Blackhawks (11-26-2), who finished 0-4-1 on a five-game road trip. Arvid Soderblom made 28 saves.

Bedard did not return after taking a hit from the Devils defenseman Brendan Smith at 10:42 of the first. After falling to the ice, Bedard got up holding his face and skated to the dressing room.

“Well, I think he obviously banged his head, but I’m not sure,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. “I just got in there now and haven’t heard anything other than everybody’s coming home tonight, everybody’s fine to come home and we’ll get him checked out at home.

“… [The trainers] didn’t say that he’s got a concussion, but we’ll just wait until we get home and checked out thoroughly.”

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, Bedard leads the Blackhawks with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 39 games.

Hughes and Bedard were each named to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game on Thursday.

“I just think it’s a good hit; it’s unfortunate where it got him,” Ruff said. “You don’t want to see that. I think, at different times, all young players learn that there’s different areas where … I mean, I learned the hard way. I got knocked out cold. … You’ve got to be aware.

“There was no intent or anything; it was just a solid hit.”

Nemec tied it 2-2 at 5:41 of the third with a wrist shot from the right face-off circle that got past Soderblom’s stick.

McLeod put New Jersey ahead 3-2 at 11:56 when he tipped in a backhand pass from the goal line by Curtis Lazar.

Tyler Toffoli scored into an empty net at 19:33 for the 4-2 final.

“No one panicked,” McLeod said. “We were really confident going into the third that we were going to tie it up and then win the game. It’s really good to see.”

Jason Dickinson gave Chicago a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 15:05 of the first period. Alex Vlasic fed Dickinson from the right point, and Dickinson scored from the top of the left circle.

Holtz tied it 1-1 at 10:08 of the second period after Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski’s attempted pass failed to clear the zone. Holtz took a pass in the left circle from Nemec and shot it into an open net.

Boris Katchouk scored an unassisted short-handed goal to give Chicago a 2-1 lead at 18:24. He collected the puck in the neutral zone, skated across the blue line and sent a wrist shot past Vanecek from the slot.

Blackhawks forward Nick Foligno, who fought Smith in the second, did not play in the third because of an undisclosed injury. Chicago also lost forwards Taylor Raddysh, Tyler Johnson and Anthony Beauvillier to injury over the course of the five-game road trip.

Foligno will also be evaluated Saturday.

“I think that’s the NHL,” Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi said. “It’s the next-man-up mentality. You look around the League, we’re not the only team going through it right now. If you look at our roster, it looks like we’re going through it maybe little bit worse than others, but I think we have to step up, myself included.

“We’ve got to give a little bit more, make a little bit harder plays to kind of pull a little more weight. It’s tough out there right now. We’re battling hard. Tonight was better. A better effort all around.”

NOTES: New Jersey leads the NHL with 14 comeback wins. … Nemec, 19, became the third defenseman in franchise history (Devils, Kansas City Scouts, Colorado Rockies) to have multiple multipoint games as a teenager, joining Scott Niedermayer (six) and Joe Cirella (two). Nemec and New Jersey defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler were each plus-3. … New Jersey center Nico Hischier did not take a shift in the final 7:01 of the first after a hit from Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy but returned for the second. He won 12 of 16 face-offs (75 percent). … Devils forward Jesper Bratt had nine shots on goal. … Dickinson became the fourth Blackhawks player in the past 20 years to score in his 400th game ( Tommy Wingels, 2017; Patrick Kane, 2013; Martin Havlat, 2008).