The New Jersey Devils welcomed fans back to their arena for the first time in nearly a year. Still, their ongoing scoring struggles persisted, particularly against Semyon Varlamov and the New York Islanders.
Varlamov made 28 saves, narrowly missing his fourth shutout of the season, as the surging Islanders defeated the slumping Devils 2-1 on Tuesday night.
“He’s a great player,” said Devils forward Miles Wood, who scored with just 13.2 seconds remaining to prevent the Islanders from securing their second consecutive shutout. “He played extremely well tonight. We need to create more traffic in front of him. But at the end of the day, he stood on his head, so great job to him.”
The Islanders, now 9-2-2 in their last 13 games, had recently blanked the Pittsburgh Penguins with a shutout by rookie Ilya Sorokin. Entering the game, New York boasted the NHL’s third-best goals-against average.
“Both goalies have been outstanding for us all year so far, and we expect them to be,” said Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy. “We’ll keep being great in front of them.”
Varlamov was particularly stellar in the second period, making 13 saves on the power play as the Devils outshot the Islanders 16-5. New Jersey had three of its four power plays during this period but couldn’t break the deadlock.
Rookie Oliver Wahlstrom finally opened the scoring with a sharp wrist shot early in the third period, and Anders Lee added a goal off his rebound less than seven minutes later.
Aaron Dell, making his second start for the Devils, recorded 18 saves. New Jersey has now lost six of its last seven games. Pavel Zacha, who had the NHL’s longest active point streak at 10 games, saw his run come to an end.
“There comes a point where you can’t be satisfied with playing well and losing,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “We need more determination to score. Our success will come when we consistently hit that three-goal mark.”
Tuesday’s game also marked the return of fans to the Prudential Center, with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy allowing 10% capacity for indoor venues. The attendance limit meant 1,800 fans could be present.
“It was great, and the cardboard cutouts made it look kind of full,” Dell said. “You could hear the fans, and it was nice to have that presence back.”
Wahlstrom’s goal came just 70 seconds into the third period when he took a pass from Jean-Gabriel Pageau, skated into the Devils’ zone, and fired a shot through defenseman Dmitry Kulikov’s legs and past Dell. The goal extended Wahlstrom’s point streak to five games (two goals, four assists).
“I’m kind of falling in love with the details of my game,” Wahlstrom said. “I feel like that’s helping. It’s bringing me more enjoyment, and I’m thinking less about production and more about focusing on the little details.”
A Spaced-Out Sellout
This game marked the first time since March 10, 2020 that both the Islanders and Devils played in front of fans. The Prudential Center’s limited ticket allotment was first offered to season-ticket holders, followed by a public sale. The first eight games sold out within 48 hours.
Fans underwent temperature checks upon entry, and COVID-19 safety protocols included designated seating, contactless transactions, and enhanced cleaning measures.
Game Notes
Devils captain Nico Hischier missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. New Jersey wore their reverse retro jerseys featuring green shirts, gloves, and helmets with red pants. Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck returned to the lineup after missing two games due to an undisclosed injury. The Devils had one of their best faceoff performances of the season, winning 57% of their draws.
UP NEXT
- Islanders: On Thursday and Saturday, the Islanders will host the Buffalo Sabres. New York will play 16 games in March, one fewer than the Devils.
- Devils: Conclude their five-game homestand with matchups against the Rangers on Thursday and Saturday.
