Jack Hughes scores second goal of night in OT as Devils rally to beat Islanders 4-3

NEW YORK (AP) — Jack Hughes got his second goal of the game 2:35 into overtime as the New Jersey Devils rallied from two goals down and beat the New York Islanders 4-3 on Saturday night.

Dawson Mercer and Stefan Noesen also scored for New Jersey, which won its third straight. Jacob Markstrom finished with 19 saves.

Simon Holmstrom had a goal and an assist, and Dennis Cholowski and Brock Nelson also scored for New York, which snapped a two-game win streak. Ilya Sorokin finished with 29 saves.

In the extra period, Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock broke his stick and Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton alertly made an outlet pass to set up Hughes for the breakaway for the win.

Cholowski and Nelson scored 1:56 apart midway through the third period to give the Islanders a 3-1 lead.

Mercer pulled the Devils within one with 4 1/2 minutes remaining, and Noesen tied it with 50 seconds to go when his pass for Nico Hischier deflected off Grant Hutton’s skate and past Sorokin.

Takeaways

Islanders: Islanders defensemen have only contributed two goals, with Cholowski scoring both.

Devils: Despite 21-year-old defenseman Luke Hughes not filling the stat sheet on the offensive end, he has vastly improved his play in the defensive zone under the tutelage of veteran defenseman Brett Pesce. The Devils signed Pesce in the offseason to a six-year deal to provide leadership for a young defensive group.

Key moment

Pesce made a great defensive play on Horvat early in OT to prevent an Islanders scoring chance

Key stat

The Islanders have won more than 50 percent of faceoffs in 14 straight games. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Brock Nelson and Bo Horvat all have a winning percentage above 50 percent this season.

Up Next

Devils host San Jose on Sunday, while Islanders visit Edmonton to open a five-game trip.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl