Jack Hughes overtime goal Devils comeback win over Islanders, Digi Mart USA News (Elmont, N.Y.): Jack Hughes scored at 1:18 of overtime and the New Jersey Devils won 5-4 against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on Saturday.
Hughes beat Ilya Sorokin on the blocker side on a breakaway off a pass from his brother Luke Hughes after New York’s Matthew Schaefer lost the puck going to the net, capping a comeback from a two-goal, third-period deficit. Jack Hughes said the win was a great comeback for the team and the first game like it all year where the Devils kept chipping away.
Jack Hughes also had an assist, Luke Evangelista had a goal and an assist, and Dougie Hamilton, Evan Rodrigues and Declan Chisholm scored for the Devils, who improved to 12-5-0 and have won four straight games and 10 of their past 12. Jake Allen made 19 saves.
Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said he had confidence the team would not go away. He said the team needed to improve some plays around its netfront but praised the effort throughout the game.
Simon Holmstrom had a goal and an assist, and Schaefer, Victor Eklund and Anthony Duclair scored for the Islanders, who fell to 7-6-3 and have lost three straight. Bo Horvat had two assists and Sorokin made 45 saves.
Islanders coach Pete DeBoer praised Sorokin’s performance as the best of his season for New York.
Duclair gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead at 15:06 of the first period. Rodrigues tied the game 17 seconds later, and Schaefer put New York ahead 2-1 at 17:14 on his own rebound.
Chisholm tied the game 2-2 early in the second period. Holmstrom scored 26 seconds later to give the Islanders a 3-2 lead, and Eklund extended the lead to 4-2 at 11:54.
Evangelista cut the deficit to 4-3 at 6:08 of the third period, and Hamilton tied the game 4-4 on the power play at 13:42, setting up Hughes’s overtime winner.
Evangelista said the team stays patient and that comebacks can take the full game. Holmstrom said the Islanders were kept off the forecheck late but that penalty killing made the game tougher.
Notes: Schaefer tied Tim Connolly for the second most points by a teenager in Islanders history. Jack Hughes scored his League-leading third overtime goal of the season, and New Jersey became the ninth team this season with a multigoal, third-period comeback win.
