Devils vs. Golden Knights Recap: Gritsyuk Scores Twice in 5-2 Win

The Devils beat the Golden Knights 5-2 on Friday night. Luke Hughes opened the scoring at 5:38 of the 1st, then Vegas took a 2-1 lead with two goals 90 seconds apart, Mark Stone on the power play at 16:27 and Ivan Barbashev at 17:57. Arseny Gritsyuk tied it 54 seconds later, Jack Hughes put New Jersey ahead at 3:49 of the 2nd, Gritsyuk added his second at 18:16 of the 2nd, and Jack Hughes finished it with an empty-netter at 17:09 of the 3rd. New Jersey outshot Vegas 32-21. Connor Hellebuyck made 19 saves on 21 shots for the Devils; Adin Hill made 27 saves on 31 for Vegas.

Four DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

Mitch Marner 1+ points (-195 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Marner had a point in 9 of his last 10 (12 points in that span), all of his last 5, and 10 of 12 this season, projected with Karlsson and Howden plus power-play time. - What happened: 2 assists in 17:42, 1.5 over the line. His primary assist on Stone's power-play goal at 16:27 of the 1st cashed it, and he set up Barbashev 90 seconds later. - Worth watching: Both of Vegas's goals ran through him. He produced even in a loss, which is what a point prop needs.

Dougie Hamilton 2+ shots on goal (-175 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Hamilton had 2+ shots in 8 of his last 10 and 10 of 13 this season (2.5 per game) on the second pair with PP1 time. - What happened: Exactly 2 shots on goal in 17:54, including 1:26 on the power play. It cleared by 0.5. - Worth watching: New Jersey had only 2 power plays, which limited the PP1 part of the read. In a game with more power-play time this line has more room.

Mitch Marner 1+ assists (-120 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Marner had an assist in 8 of his last 10, all of his last 5 and 9 of 12 this season, and came in on an 8-game point streak with 11 points in that span. - What happened: 2 assists, 1.5 over the line. The first came on Stone's tip-in on the power play at 16:27 of the 1st, the second on Barbashev's goal at 17:57. - Worth watching: At -120 this was the better price of the two Marner plays, and it cashed on the same goal. When his assist rate is this steady, the assist line can be the value side.

Arseny Gritsyuk 1+ points (+110 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Gritsyuk had a point in 8 of his last 10 and 4 of his last 5 (10 points in 13 games), skating on the top line with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. At plus money, this was a longer shot that landed. - What happened: 2 goals on 8 shots in 17:48, plus 3. His unassisted goal at 18:51 of the 1st tied the game 2-2 and cashed it, and his backhand at 18:16 of the 2nd made it 4-2. - Worth watching: He led New Jersey with 8 shots on goal. That volume on the top line makes his shot and point props worth checking again.

How the game played out

Vegas scored twice late in the 1st to lead 2-1, but Gritsyuk answered before the period ended. Jack Hughes gave New Jersey the lead early in the 2nd and the Devils never trailed again. Vegas scored on its only power play; New Jersey went without a power-play goal on 2 chances and won it at even strength.

Trends to watch

• Gritsyuk (8 shots) and Jack Hughes (7 shots) carried New Jersey's volume. The top line is driving the offense.
• Hill faced 31 shots and allowed 4 goals. Shot volume against Vegas is worth tracking for Devils shooters.
• Marner logged only 0:06 of power-play time yet assisted on Stone's power-play goal and Barbashev's even-strength goal. His point props did not need heavy PP time to land here.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. More on the NHL hub, all NHL recaps, and why plus money matters in American odds.