ELMONT, N.Y. — Saturday the New York Islanders hosted the Devils for their second of three matchups the clubs will play this season, and an extra session was needed to decide the contest.
The Islanders found a way to gain a two-goal third period lead, and failed to maintain their edge, eventually falling 4-3 in OT.
The Islanders were tested early.
Pierre Engvall was sent to the box for two minutes for holding Devils defenseman Brett Pesce at 8:14 left in the first.
Despite the Devils holding plenty of offensive zone time, the Islanders killed the penalty, thanks largely to a sharp Ilya Sorokin.
At 13:09 of the first Simon Holmstrom scored his second of the season, as he found the back of the net, beating Jacob Markstrom to give the Isles a 1-0 lead. Kyle MacLean hit Holmstrom with a precise pass to the slot, and Holmstrom finished with a nifty move around Allen.
The first period ended with the Devils holding a 10-5 shot advantage, however the Islanders led 1-0.
In the second, the Devils started strong again, firing the first four shots before the Islanders could get their first.
Then 5:17 into the period, Denis Cholowski got called for an offensive zone high stick. Jack Hughes made the Isles pay, scoring his sixth goal of the season, coming from Doug Hamilton and Jesper Bratt, tying the game, 1-1.
With 6:02 left in the second, Sorokin stopped Bratt, who skated past Scott Mayfield, and was alone one-on-one, but the Islander goalie kicked out his right pad making a brilliant save.
Then with 1:35 left in the period, Jack Hughes was robbed by Sorokin, who looked on top of his game through two periods, leaving the teams tied 1-1.
In the third the two teams traded chances and halfway through the period the Devils lead 24-16 in shots, but the score still remained 1-1.
However on the next shift the Islanders took a 2-1 lead at 12:26 of the third, when Cholowski fired a shot home from the left circle. Holmstrom and Engvall picked up the assists.
Then with 7:34 remaining, the Islanders continued to ride the momentum as Kyle Palmieri found Brock Nelson who roofed a shot past Markstrom for his sixth goal of the season.
But the game was not over.
With 4:27 remaining Dawson Mercer scored his fourth of the season off a perfect Paul Cotter pass, tightening the Islanders lead to 3-2.
The Devils pulled Markstrom with 1:18 to go. Sorokin made two quick saves and then Stefan Noesen banked a pass off of Grant Hutton’s skate and in the net with 48.3 to go, tying the game 3-3.
Overtime was needed to decide the outcome.
It was a fast paced extra session that ultimately ended with Jack Hughes burying the winner at 2:35 of OT.
The Islanders will look to rebound Tuesday as they head to Edmonton to face the Oilers at 9 PM.
