Jack Hughes scored his second goal of the night 2:35 into overtime, completing a rally from two goals down to secure a 4-3 victory for the New Jersey Devils over the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
Dawson Mercer and Stefan Noesen also found the net for the Devils, who have now won three consecutive games. Jacob Markstrom made 19 saves.
Simon Holmstrom contributed a goal and an assist for the Islanders, with Dennis Cholowski and Brock Nelson also scoring. Ilya Sorokin stopped 29 shots in the loss, which ended the Islanders’ two-game win streak.
In overtime, Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock broke his stick, allowing Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton to spot an opportunity and make an outlet pass to Hughes, who converted on the breakaway for the game-winner.
The Islanders had taken a 3-1 lead midway through the third with quick goals from Cholowski and Nelson, just 1:56 apart. Mercer cut the deficit with 4:30 remaining, and Noesen tied it up with 50 seconds left when his pass deflected off Grant Hutton’s skate and into the net.
Takeaways
Islanders: Islanders’ defensemen have struggled offensively, with Cholowski scoring the only two goals from the blue line this season.
Devils: 21-year-old defenseman Luke Hughes has shown significant improvement in his defensive play, thanks to guidance from veteran defenseman Brett Pesce, who signed a six-year deal with New Jersey in the offseason.
Key Moment
Early in overtime, Pesce made a critical defensive play on Bo Horvat, stopping an Islanders scoring opportunity and keeping the Devils in position to win.
Key Stat
The Islanders have won over 50% of faceoffs in 14 consecutive games, with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Brock Nelson, and Bo Horvat maintaining a faceoff win rate above 50%.
Up Next
The Devils host San Jose on Sunday, while the Islanders head to Edmonton for a five-game road trip.
