New Jersey's seven-game home winning streak came to an end with a 3-2 OT loss to the Islanders
NEWARK, NJ – Mathew Barzal snapped the Devils’ home winning streak at seven games after scoring 1:17 into overtime to give the New York Islanders a 3-2 victory at Prudential Center on Monday night.
The Devils stole a point in the contest after Simon Nemec tied the game at 2-2 with a goal with just 4.7 seconds remaining in regulation.
That goal answered a late power-play goal from the Islanders. Former Devil Kyle Palmieri picked up the a man-advantage tally with 2:53 remaining in regulation to give New York its 2-1 lead.
Bo Horvat also scored a goal and added career assist No. 300 with a two-point night for the Isles.
Timo Meier also scored for the Devils’ goal, coming 2:12 into the game on the power play.
“They did a good job of not giving up much off the rush and we played into that trap,” Meier said. “We turned too many pucks over trying to force things off the rush instead of putting pucks behind them.”
The Devils have picked up a point in all eight home games this season (7-0-1). They came one shot shy of tying the team record for best home start to a season (8-0-0, 1987-88).
• Simon Nemec picked the perfect time to score his first goal of the season, tying the game with a shot from the point that hit an Islander in between the circle and found its way into the net to tie the game and force overtime and net the Devils a point.
• Timo Meier opened the scoring with a power-play goal that was shot so hard that even the goal light and goal horn were delayed because the operators didn’t see the puck go in.
Meier worked his way into the bumper position and was right above the crease when he received a pass from Jesper Bratt. Meier shot far side beyond the outstretched pad of goalie Ilya Sorokin.
The goal is Meier’s second in the past three games.
• The best save of the game didn’t come from either goaltender. However, it came from Jonas Siegenthaler. After Jacob Markstrom made a save in the third period, he couldn’t control the rebound and it slid out. Jonathan Drouin had a wide-open net to shoot into, but Siegenthaler dove into the crease and along the goal line. With his gloves he was able to punch the shot away. Pure desperation and sacrifice from the blueliner.
• Speaking of great saves from non-goalies, late in the third period Bratt managed to deny the Islanders the go-ahead goal. Markstrom came out to poke a loose puck away above the circles, but the puck popped into the air and was heading toward the goal when Bratt swung his stick in the air and whacked the puck away in a baseball-style hit.
• The Devils broke up the Stefan Noesen, Jack Hughes and Bratt trio in the third period. They elevated Arseny Gritsyuk in place of Noesen.
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