No quit in… New Jersey?
Yes, the “No Quit” mantra has been used time after time by the boys across the Hudson River. However, the Devils have proven this season that they’re certainly capable of following that same mantra.
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Now, New Jersey didn’t necessarily come away from this one they way they wanted to. However, it was a gutsy effort to tie things late and force overtime.
The Devils fell to the New York Islanders 3-2 in overtime, but they clawed their way to another point.
Let’s dive into how the Devils fell in the extra frame.
First Period
The Devils came out firing in the first period, in part due to the Islanders giving them an early advantage. New York was called for an early too many men bench minor, and the Devils went to the power play just 38 seconds into the first period.
Timo Meier made good on the advantage, scoring from the slot after Jesper Bratt dished him the puck from the left circle, giving the Devils a 1-0 lead.
With the pressure high, the Islanders took a late minor at the end of the first period, after Kyle Palmieri was called for hooking on Nico Hischier.
The period expired before the Devils could score, sending them into the second period with 1:53 remaining on the advantage.
Sorokin kept things close as the Devils ended the first 20 minutes with an 11-7 shot advantage.
Second Period
The Devils couldn’t convert on the remaining power play time they had to open the second period, and play returned to even strength.
About four minutes later, Luke Hughes threw a bling pass to center ice in the neutral zone. It was intercepted by Kyle Palmieri, who drew Brenden Dillon away from the slot, leaving Bo Horvat all alone. Horvat received a pass from Palmieri, and beat Jacob Markstrom to tie the game at one.
The remainder of the period ensured with the Devils and Islanders trading even strength chances. Neither side was called for an infraction in the middle frame.
The second period buzzer ended with the Devils outshooting the Islanders 10-8 in the middle 20 minutes.
Third Period
The Islanders tilted the ice a bit in the third period, pressuring Markstrom as the Devils were out-shot 6-2 through the first five minutes.
In fact, Markstrom made not one, but two heads up, diving poke check plays to negate the Islanders a high-danger scoring chance, maintaining the one-goal tie.
Yet, after Calum Ritchie took a hooking minor on Simon Nemec, the Devils took back control of the game, despite not taking advantage of the power play.
The Devils even got another chance to take the lead on the man advantage after Mathew Barzal high-sticked Meier. Yet, the Islanders negated New Jersey’s man advantage.
After consecutive failed man advantages, Paul Cotter is called for an interference penalty and the Islanders went to their own man advantage.
Kyle Palmieri cleaned up a shot from the point by Matthew Schaefer, and the Islanders took the lead late in the third period at the 17:07 mark.
The Devils weren’t dead yet, however. The Devils pulled Markstrom for the extra attacker, and the game came down to the wire. With the clock running down, Bratt fed Nemec at the point for a one-time blast, and the 21-year-old blueliner tied the game with 4.7 seconds remaining in the third.
Nemec’s goal is his first in 2025-26.
Overtime
The Devils stole a point on home ice, but there was no second. The Islanders ended the game in the extra frame, after Barzal was sprung for a breakaway on a give and go with Jonathan Drouin, and he scored on Markstrom.
The Devils’ loss on Monday is their first on home ice.
Markstrom made 22 saves on 25 shots in three-plus periods.
