After an almost perfect game against the Montreal Canadiens, the New Jersey Devils looked to continue their electrifying and poised play Saturday night against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena.
Winning this game would be huge for the team, as they would be able to take home two points, which would help them regain the first-place spot in the Metropolitan Division, as they were tied with the Carolina Hurricanes at 20. New Jersey did just what they were supposed to as they had an exhilarating overtime win by the score of 4-3
Many attributes from New Jersey’s last game were necessary when coming into this game to see success. Seeing the consistent physicality is a huge upgrade, while Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt have also stepped up. The defensive lines have also shown improvement and have been more attentive on the puck. All this had been huge contributions to gaining wins. Still, the goaltending has also been one of the biggest refinements, as Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom secured shutouts for the team in Vancouver and Calgary.
Stepping onto the ice for the first period, the Devils came out strong and were dominant on the puck. New Jersey was smart and fast with the puck, which gave them many quality chances throughout the first 15 minutes of the period. There would especially be some action from Jack Hughes as he continued to test his luck on net. However, the defense became inconsistent and lost their footing in the last five minutes. Simon Holmstrom would take advantage of those mistakes and score his second of the season from Kyle Maclean. The Islanders would be first to get on the board and lead 1-0. The Devils attempted to bounce back but failed, and regulation ended with the Islanders leading the game.
The takeaway from the first period was that the Devils’ defense needs to be more aware of the puck. The Islanders had the chance to score because there was no defense to stop him. On a positive note, seeing Jack Hughes and Dawson Mercer put in the work throughout the period was relieving.
Coming out for the second period, the Devils again had a surge of confidence and started to make more effort to tie it up. New Jersey would also begin to pump up the physicality. Five minutes into the period, Dennis Cholowski was called for high sticking against Brett Pesce, sending the Devils into a power play. Jack Hughes lit the lamp for the Devils from Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt on the power play, tying the game at 1-1. The Devils have had the best power play in the league these past three weeks, with a percentage of 40.9%. The Devils continued to be the better team throughout the rest of the period, ending tied 1-1.
It’s obvious that Jack Hughes has stepped up his game, as he’s picking up more goals. He’s also been more on edge with the puck and has been in the right place at the right time throughout previous games. Jacob Markstrom also had an excellent period, making many impressive saves alongside Ilya Sorokin.
The third period started with what seemed to be a bit of delay for the Devils as they struggled to find the fire they had during the earlier periods of the game. New Jersey’s faulty play would result in Dennis Cholowski getting one past Jacob Markstrom 10 minutes into the period from Simon Holmstrom and Pierre Engvall, and the Islanders lead 2-1. The Devils then had trouble rebounding from the goal, and only two minutes later, the Islanders would strike again. Brock Nelson scored his sixth of the season from former Devil Kyle Palmieri and Maxim Tsyplakov. The Islanders led 3-1.
New Jersey suddenly had a wake-up call, and Dawson Mercer would be the first to strike only two minutes after Nelson’s goal. He would be assisted by Jonas Siegenthaler and Paul Cotter, cutting the Devils’ deficit to just one. The last minute of the game approached quickly, and during a tense attempt to tie it, Stefan Noesen found his way to the back of the net from Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton, tying the game at three with only 40 seconds left in the period. After a hard-fought game, the Devils went into overtime on the island.
At the start of overtime, both teams would not waste any time. Jersey would get the first shot but then be overshadowed by three consecutive shots on net from the Islanders. Dougie Hamilton unexpectedly found an opening to send the puck to Jack Hughes. Hamilton’s pass gave Hughes a breakaway, and with Hughes’s silky hands, he snuck one in past Sorokin to complete the Devils’ comeback and acquire the win.
Many stars shined throughout this game, Jack Hughes being one. He was able to pick up three points for the second time in a row, earning him six points in two games. Dougie Hamilton was also one of the stars, as he picked up three points in assists, one of which was Hughes’ game-winning goal. One last standout tonight would be Dawson Mercer, as he was able to act accordingly and score under pressure when the team needed it most.
The Devils play their next game on Sunday against the San Jose Sharks at Prudential Center.
