New Jersey Devils Fall To New York Islanders 3-1
The Devils were supposed to be one of the best teams in the National Hockey League, but have been hampered by injuries and have disappointed this season. The Islanders beat them 3-1.
The Devils and Islanders are both in the Metropolitan Division, so this was an important game. This was also the last game before the Olympics for both teams. The Islanders have only five games after the break to make a trade. Do you think the Islanders will make another trade?
Devils and Islanders Scoring Summary
There is no doubt New Jersey came into this game with revenge on their minds, after getting killed by the Islanders 9-0 on Jan. 6. Nevertheless, the New Jersey Devils are struggling. They lost two games in a row, with the most recent being a 3-0 shutout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Devils have dropped four of their last five games, and as a consequence, they are in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division. The Islanders are coming off an overtime defeat of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Here is a scoring summary of the game.
After the first period, there were no goals. However, the Islanders only took two shots in the first period. They were outplayed by an inferior team and were fortunate that goaltender Ilya Sorokin stood on his head.
In the second period, the islanders took a 1-0 lead when Casey Czikas scored, but they were getting outplayed again and did not deserve the lead. The onslaught from New Jersey continued, and Nico Hischier scored to tie the game at 1. That was how the second period ended.
In the third period, Bo Horvat scored to give them a 2-1 lead with five minutes to go. The Islanders did not deserve the lead. Then Mathew Barzal scored an empty net goal. It was 3-1 Islanders. That is how the game ended.
The Devils Make a Trade
The New Jersey Devils acquired Forward Nick Bjugstad from the St. Louis Blues for Forward Thomas Bordeleau and a 2026 conditional fourth-round pick. Bjugstad, a veteran of 795 National Hockey League games. He has only 7 points in 35 games with the Blues this season. New Jersey is banking on a change of scenery to benefit Bjugstad.
Homecoming, Of Sorts
The Islanders and Devils made a trade about a week ago. The Islanders acquired Ondrej Palat for Maxim Tsyplakov and a third-round draft pick. The Islanders recouped that draft pick later that same day in a trade with the New York Rangers. This was the first time that both Palat and Tsyplacov would play against their former teams.
Player Of the Game
The player of the game was Horvat, who gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead.
Turning Point Of the Game
The turning point of the game was the Horvat goal. It came late, with less than four minutes to go in the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Islanders won this game 3-1 against a struggling Devils team. Horvat was the player of the game for the Islanders for scoring with less than 4 minutes to go in the game. The turning point of the game was the Horvat goal. The Islanders and Devils are both off for the Olympics until Feb. 25.
The islanders have two Olympians. Horvat is going to pay for Team Canada. Palat is going to play for the Czech Republic. There are eight members of the New Jersey Devils who are going to play in the Olympics. This is not an indicator of them being good.
Parting Shots
The Islanders wanted to go to the Olympic break on a winning note. Plus, this game was an important divisional game for them. Now, they have three weeks where most of their players can heal and rest.
