There is nobody but nobody who enjoys scoring against the Rangers more than Jack Hughes, there is nobody but nobody who enjoys beating the Rangers more than Jack Hughes, there is nobody but nobody who enjoys embarrassing the Rangers more than Jack Hughes.
And there was No. 86 with the puck on his stick in the offensive zone in overtime after previously scoring a second-period goal for his 16th in 23 games against the Blueshirts. The puck was on his stick … and then it wasn’t because Sam Carrick poked it away when the New Jersey center tried to make a move on him.
The puck now was on Carrick’s stick. Seven seconds later, the puck was in the Devils’ net when Carrick finished a 2-on-1 with Reilly Smith at 2:48 of OT to lift the Rangers to a 3-2 victory at the Garden on Thursday in what was surely the Blueshirts’ most compelling performance of the season.
Work ethic has returned. Commitment and engagement have returned. Pride in the sweater has returned. The Rangers are 3-1-1 in their last five games. You can feel it.
