Kelly finished a breakaway to make it 5-0 at 8:39. Ross Colton took a stretch pass from Brent Burns at the blue line and passed across to Kelly, who made a forehand-to-backhand deke before lifting a shot into an open net.
Noesen made it 5-1 at 10:08. He scored off the far post with a snap shot after Paul Cotter disrupted Burns’ clearing attempt.
Hamilton cut it to 5-2 at 11:48. His initial shot from the high slot was blocked in front, but he gloved down the rebound and knocked it behind Wedgewood at the left post.
Mercer then made it 5-3 on a rush at 13:42. He angled Timo Meier‘s centering pass to Nico Hischier, who then quickly sent it back to Mercer for a tap-in from the edge of the crease.
“I think after we were down a couple goals we lost structure, and I think that’s the worst thing that can happen,” Hischier said. “Gave up easy goals, and, obviously, today we showed exactly the recipe of how not to play hockey.”
Hughes got the Devils to within 5-4 at 14:12. Skating in on a 3-on-2 rush, Hughes dropped the puck through his legs to Jesper Bratt, who sent it back to Hughes for a one-timer from below the right circle.
“First one hits a stick, knuckle puck. Second one, I make a save and it just disappears with the net-front coverage,” Wedgewood said. “Somehow, I guess, he grabbed it and threw it to himself and scored. We turned one over and they make a nice triple pass, backdoor tap in. No one’s stopping it. And then they turn it over again, they make another three-pass play, and no one’s stopping it.
“But you just got to go through the routine, wash each one of them and prepare for the next one no matter how [rough] it is. You can’t do anything about it.”