On Tuesday night, the New York Islanders hosted the New Jersey Devils at UBS Arena, marking the teams’ third matchup of the season. The Devils were looking to get back on track following a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, while the Islanders looked to extend their win streak after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime on Saturday. The result of this Metropolitan Division showdown was a 9-0 victory for the Islanders.
Game Recap
The Islanders struck first, with a goal courtesy of Mathew Barzal 1:08 into the opening period, assisted by Ryan Pulock and Matthew Schaefer. The Devils had a power-play opportunity shortly afterwards, with Pulock receiving a penalty for slashing Luke Hughes, but they could not capitalize.
On their second shot on goal of the evening, the Islanders took a 2-0 lead after Anthony Duclair fired a wrist shot past Jacob Markstrom. Duclair scored again nine minutes later, making it 3-0 for the Islanders after 20 minutes, with shots 15-7 in favor of the Devils.
Three minutes into the second period, Duclair completed a natural hat trick, giving the Islanders a four-goal lead. A minute later, Schaefer was sent to the box for a tripping penalty, but once again, the Devils could not score on the man advantage.
Halfway through the period, Simon Holmstrom scored his ninth goal of the season, putting the Islanders up 5-0. Barzal’s assist also marked his third point of the night.
The Devils began the third period with 1:20 of power-play time, but could not get the puck past Ilya Sorokin. Instead, Casey Cizikas extended the Islanders’ lead to 6-0 immediately after Schaefer’s delay of game penalty from the period before ended. Tony DeAngelo scored halfway through the third, assisted by Duclair and Maxim Shabanov, making the score 7-0.
But the Islanders weren’t done yet. Calum Ritchie scored with less than two minutes remaining in regulation, quickly followed by another goal by Cizikas. The final score was a 9-0 victory for the home team, with Sorokin stopping all 44 shots he faced. At the other end of the ice, Markstrom recorded a .625 save percentage (SV%).
Looking Ahead
Both teams will be back in action on Thursday night. The Devils will continue their four-game road trip against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Islanders will face the Nashville Predators.
The Devils-Islanders season series will conclude on Feb. 5, with the final matchup taking place at Prudential Center.
