Markstrom makes 29 saves, Devils defeat Hurricanes for 3rd straight win

Jacob Markstrom made 29 saves for the New Jersey Devils in a 4-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Friday.

The 34-year-old goalie has won six straight starts and was coming off consecutive shutouts.

Luke Hughes had a goal and an assist, and Ondrej Palat, Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer scored for the Devils (24-11-3), who have won three in a row and six of seven.

“I didn’t think it was our best game, by any means,” New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said. “But any time you get two points and score four at even-strength against a team like that, and win on home ice, you’re certainly going to take it. ... Playing against a team that’s willing to shoot the puck from the parking lot. They’re going to get it there, so you’re going to get tested. So, tough for everybody. The goalie is obviously included.”

Brent Burns had a goal and an assist, and Eric Robinson scored for the Hurricanes (21-13-1), who have lost three of four. Pyotr Kochetkov made 19 saves.

“I liked our game, overall,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “They’re going to have their shifts, and they did, but overall, I liked how we played. We generated enough offense to win. Giving up four is not what we want to do, but we didn’t really give up a ton of opportunities. So, overall, I didn’t mind the game at all.”

The teams will play again Saturday at Carolina.

“Obviously, both teams know how to play against each other,” Brind’Amour said. “There’s no secrets there. We’ve got to find a way to get a few more past them.”

Robinson put the Hurricanes ahead 1-0 at 10:03 of the first period, ending an eight-game goal drought with his ninth this season. He poked in a loose puck in the crease after Jackson Blake deflected a point shot from Burns, ending Markstrom’s shutout streak at 139:35.

The Devils then scored twice in 42 seconds.

Palat tied it 1-1 at 16:12, tipping a shot from Johnathan Kovacevic.

Hischier gave New Jersey a 2-1 lead at 16:54 with his team-leading 18th goal, a wrist shot from the left face-off circle off a pass from Stefan Noesen on a 2-on-1.

“I don’t think it was our best game,” Hischier said. “But we’re playing against a good team and I think they came out really strong. But kept a cool head and just stuck with it. Found a way.”

Burns scored seven seconds after a power play expired, tying it 2-2 by taking a pass from Jack Roslovic for a wrist shot from the slot 22 seconds into the second period.

Luke Hughes put the Devils back in front 3-2 at 4:15 with a snap shot from left of the net after a shot from Brett Pesce bounced to him off Burns.

“Massive. Very, very important to come out of Christmas like that,” Luke Hughes said. “Big divisional games and hopefully it’s an eight-point swing tomorrow.”

Mercer pushed it to 4-2 at 8:47 on a wrist shot just outside the crease off a rebound from Jack Hughes.

New Jersey nearly scored again at 14:00, when Hischier wrapped a backhand around Kochetkov’s left pad, but the play was ruled over before the puck was knocked into the net from a scrum in the crease.

“I think you see a couple mistakes there in the second period, a couple letdowns in the last five of the first period there,” Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin said. “Those are what’s costing us. Take away a couple different plays and it’s a completely different game. Their goalie made a couple good saves, but the group as a whole in here, we can’t have those shifts where we take breathers.”

NOTES: Slavin had two shots on goal, one hit and one block in 21:28 of ice time during his 700th NHL game. ... Hischier’s goal was his 154th in the NHL, passing Wilf Paiement for the 10th most in the history of the Devils/Kansas City Scouts/Colorado Rockies. ... Luke Hughes has 66 points (13 goals, 53 assists), the fifth most for a Devils/Scouts/Rockies defenseman before age 22 behind Scott Niedermayer (106), Barry Beck (102), Joe Cirella (88) and Craig Wolanin (70). ... Carolina outshot New Jersey 31-23. The Devils did not allow more than 20 shots on goal in their previous seven games and had the advantage in shots in each of their past nine.