Newark, N.J. — The New York Islanders closed out play before the Olympic break by grinding out a 3–1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night, leaning on timely scoring and late-game execution.
Bo Horvat delivered the decisive goal with just over three minutes remaining in regulation, snapping a 1–1 tie. Following a faceoff, Horvat corralled the puck and slipped a backhand past Devils goaltender Jake Allen at the 16:33 mark of the third period to put New York ahead for good.
Casey Cizikas opened the scoring midway through the second period, capitalizing on a chaotic sequence in front of the net. After Allen attempted to move the puck around the boards during a Devils line change, Marc Gatcomb intercepted and fired it toward the slot. Kyle MacLean redirected the puck, allowing Cizikas to jam home the rebound after Allen stopped the initial attempt.
Mathew Barzal sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal in the final moments, capping a composed finish by the Islanders.
Despite being outshot 24–14, New York received a strong performance from Ilya Sorokin, who turned aside 23 shots and repeatedly frustrated the Devils’ attack. Allen finished with 11 saves in the loss.
New Jersey showed increased urgency following recent criticism from head coach Sheldon Keefe regarding the team’s mental toughness, but the Islanders matched — and ultimately exceeded — that intensity. The Devils remained without star center Jack Hughes, who missed his third consecutive game due to a lower-body injury.
The Devils briefly pulled even late in the second period when Allen jump-started the play with a long outlet to Jesper Bratt. Bratt carried the puck into the offensive zone before sliding a cross-ice pass to Nico Hischier, whose wrist shot beat Sorokin high glove side.
Up Next:
The Islanders return to action Feb. 26 with a road matchup against Montreal. The Devils resume play Feb. 25 at home against Buffalo.
