Mathew Barzal scored 1:17 into overtime, and the New York Islanders, after blowing a late lead, regrouped to hand the New Jersey Devils their first home loss of the season with Monday night’s 3-2 victory in Newark, N.J.
New York broke a 1-1 tie on its only power-play chance of the game with 2:53 left in the third period, when Kyle Palmieri chipped in the puck from the crease off Matthew Schaefer’s point shot that glanced off New Jersey’s Brenden Dillon along the way.
However, the Devils forced overtime with 4.7 seconds remaining in regulation, when Simon Nemec’s shot from the point appeared to redirect off an Islander in traffic and by Ilya Sorokin, who was otherwise stout in making 33 saves.
But off a give-and-go with Jonathan Drouin in the extra session, Barzal broke free and beat New Jersey netminder Jacob Markstrom (22 saves) for the Islanders’ fourth win in six contests.
Bo Horvat scored his 12th of the season for the Islanders, who never recorded more than eight shots in any regulation period Monday.
Timo Meier also scored for the Devils, who had won seven consecutive home games to open the season, but fell a victory shy of matching the club record set in 1987-88. This also marked the third consecutive game New Jersey has played that’s gone past regulation.
The Devils wasted no time opening the scoring. On the power play following a too-many-men penalty by the Islanders, Meier found a seam in the slot and one-timed Jesper Bratt’s pass by Sorokin.
Though New Jersey consistently pressured Sorokin, the Islanders managed to equalize 6:55 into the second period. On the pursuit, Palmieri sent the puck from the wing for a surging Horvat to grab just over the blue line and beat Markstrom.
Sorokin kept the Islanders in the game with some stellar saves, including late in the third period amid a flurry of chances during a New Jersey power play.
–Field Level Media
