3 Takeaways From Devils’ 2-1 Preseason Win Over Islanders

On Sunday, Sept. 20, the New Jersey Devils hosted the New York Islanders for their first preseason game of the 2026-27 season. Both the Devils and Islanders lineups consisted of players trying to make the cut for the opening night roster. With two fewer preseason games this season, there’s even more pressure to perform.

After a chippy first period, six penalties for the Devils and two for the Islanders, the score remained even at zero. Less than a minute into the second, the Islanders opened the scoring with a power-play goal. However, the Devils evened up the score three minutes later. With a tie score, it all came down to the final frame to decide the winner.

Seven minutes into the third period, the Devils scored again to break the tie. With no other goals scored, the Devils secured a 2-1 victory to kick off the preseason.

Utica Captain Scores First Goal of the Preseason

Everyone was wondering who was going to score the first goal of the preseason for the Devils, and in the second period of the first game, it was Ryan Schmelzer who struck the back of the net first.

Ethan Edwards had control of the puck in the Islanders’ offensive zone and passed it to Ben Steeves at center ice. He skated into the Devils’ zone, where he passed it up to Schmelzer, who was in front of the net. Schmelzer snuck it past Vitek Vanecek’s stick for the Devils’ first goal of the preseason.

Schmelzer is the captain for the Devils American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate team, the Utica Comets. He received the title of captain when he joined the team in the 2021-22 season, which is a testament to the kind of person he is, both on and off the ice. Last season with Utica, Schmelzer played in 66 games and recorded 27 points. Although this might not have been his greatest offensive performance, he’ll look to get back on track with Utica this season.

Brown With the Tiebreaker

After 40 minutes, both teams had a goal apiece. It was all boiling down to the last 20 minutes to see who would come out victorious. Seven minutes into the third period, Connor Brown stole the puck from the Islanders. He had a clear breakaway and outpaced everyone to the net. He sent a shot that went past Vanecek to secure the win for New Jersey.

Brown played right wing alongside Cody Glass and Amadeus Lombardi on the top line. The trio spent the most time on the ice, with Lombardi hitting 20:39. Glass was close behind him with 20:22, and Brown logged 18:58.

It was clear that this line is already finding its footing and working on their scoring chemistry. When asked about Lombardi in the postgame media, head coach Sheldon Keefe stated, “In Lombardi’s case, we’re asking him to do things he’s never done. He’s on the left wing; he’s on the penalty kill.”

Rittich Solid in Net

David Rittich got his first start for the Devils in this game, and although it was preseason, he looked solid in net. He stopped all the Islanders’ chances in the first period, including their extra-man advantage opportunities. In total, he stopped 23 of the Islanders’ 24 shots.

The Devils signed Rittich during free agency. He most recently played for the Islanders. The addition of Rittich was a smart move on New Jersey’s part, as they look to use a three-goaltender tandem to keep the net strong this season. After losing Jacob Markstrom during the offseason, the Devils hope that Rittich will benefit them. After his performance in this game, Rittich is already showing that signing him was the right choice.

Devils Play a Back-to-Back

The Devils will be back in action on Monday, Sept. 21, when they host the New York Rangers for their second preseason game. With such a shortened preseason and training camp, the team can waste no time as they try to figure out what their opening night roster is going to be.