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Devils Fall Late to Islanders in Brooklyn

The Devils traveled to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for the first time during the regular season to take on the New York Islanders in the back half of a home-and-home with the Isles.

The Islanders debuted a new-look third jersey tonight, wearing a Brooklyn Nets-inspired black and white uniform. Some other notes from the game include Jiri Tlusty (Devils – upper body injury) and John Tavares (Islanders – illness) sitting and Stephen Gionta playing in his 200th career NHL game.

The Isles got on the board early, when Brock Nelson scored at 7:23 of the first. Marek Zidlicky fired a shot from the point, which Cory Schneider (making his ninth straight start) made the initial save on, the rebound came out to Anders Lee, who fired a shot point blank that Cory also got and then another rebound came out to Nelson who put it home. New York led 1-0.

Though there were no penalties called on either team in the first period, the Islanders (usually a very disciplined team – they took no penalties in their last game against Buffalo) were called for six penalties the rest of the game, giving the Devils plenty of chances on the power play for the night. The problem was that the Islanders had not given up a power play goal in nine games. That trend would continue through the second period where the Isles doubled up the Devils in penalties, taking four to New Jersey’s two.

Two of those penalties led to a four-on-four situation. Jacob Josefson had taken a hooking call at 6:27 of the second to put the Isles up a man. Then, at 6:45, things were evened up when New York’s Lee was also nabbed for hooking. This four-on-four led to a great Schneider save when he robbed the Islanders on a 2-on-1 breakaway.

Another four-on-four occurred when coincidental roughing calls were made against the Devils’ Jordin Tootoo and the Islanders’ Matt Martin. Tootoo had been giving the Islander tough guy’s linemate, Casey Cizikas some trouble and Martin stepped in to defend his teammate. The two were ready to scrap when Tootoo’s helmet came off and the linesmen stepped in, resulting in the shorter roughing minors.

The Islanders stayed up a goal until Brian Strait was called for slashing Josefson at 2:28 of the third. The Devils had their fifth chance on the power play and this time would finally connect. Travis Zajac scored his fifth goal of the season (assists to Kyle Palmieri and Eric Gelinas) at 4:03 to end the Islanders’ penalty killing streak and tie the game at one.

But the Devils were unable to solve Jaroslav Halak and let the Islanders hang around, something you cannot do with a team as good as the Isles. At 17:48 of the third, Cizikas broke the tie with a tip-in from a shot from Martin to put New York ahead for good.

Although that was the end of the scoring, the Devils were given a good chance to tie it up late. After pulling Schneider (who ended with 32 saves on the night) to go up a six-on-five, the Devils pressed. Then, with twenty seconds left in the game, the Islanders got caught with a bad line change and received a bench minor for too many men on the ice to put the Devils up six-on-four. Unfortunately for New Jersey fans, the Islanders cleared the puck towards the empty net and, though they hit the outside of the cage, were able to pin the puck deep in the Devils zone until time ran out. The Isles snapped a three game losing streak for them and got revenge on the Devils for the shootout loss on Saturday.

The Islanders played a physical game, out hitting the Devils 63 to 26 and New Jersey was able to hang in with them, but ultimately, the Isles were able to beat Cory late and the Devils just could not muster the equalizer. They were having trouble solving Halak and the Devils’ first regular season game in Barclays Center would go down in the loss column for them.

The team tries to get back on a winning track when they welcome the defending Stanley Cup champions to the Prudential Center on Friday when the Chicago Blackhawks come to town. The Devils have a steep hill to climb, but with the steady play of Cory Schneider and if they can get some offense going besides Travis Zajac and Mike Cammalleri, they might stand more than a chance.

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Palmieri Shines as Devils down Flyers

The Devils traveled down the Jersey Turnpike to renew their rivalry with the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, a win would give them 100 regular season victories in the all-time series against Philly. When all was said and done, the Devils were feeling mighty good in the City of Brotherly Love largely due to Kyle Palmieri.

The Devils got things started quickly when Lee Stempniak rang one off the post less than one minute into the game. Flyers goalie Steve Mason helped his own cause early when he robbed Palmieri on the power play (the Flyers were called for the first of two too many men on the ice penalties on the game to put New Jersey up a man) with a nice glove save. Right after that penalty was killed off by Philly, Stephen Gionta hit the post on a goal mouth scramble and things were quickly beginning to look like the game on Tuesday against Columbus.

The Devils continued their aggressive attempts on the penalty kill when Stempniak had a short-handed try (after Andy Greene took a hooking call mid-first period).

The mirror to the Columbus game was continued 15:04 into the second when Luke Schenn connected for the Flyers unassisted. It was best described by Ken Daneyko as a kind of “seeing-eye” shot by Schenn that found it’s mark and the Flyers were up 1-0.

From there on out, however, the Devils took over the scoresheet and refused to let up. Philly’s Chris VandeVelde took a high-sticking call against Palmieri when his stick got caught up in Palmieri’s visor. Travis Zajac would continue his hot streak when he would score on the power play at 18:12 (assists to Palmieri and Jacob Josefson) to knot the game at one.

In the third, Palmieri would give the Devils a 2-1 lead when he snapped a shot past Mason unassisted at 1:28. The Devils had just killed off a Jon Merrill hooking minor.

Less than a minute later, the Flyers would again take a too many men on the ice bench minor (both of these penalties were served by Brayden Schenn, who has been in the dog house for Philly of late) and New Jersey would capitalize. Travis Zajac again found the back of the net on the power play, scoring at 2:32 from Palmieri and Eric Gelinas (who was again the extra defenseman in the Devils’ lineup).

One of the keys on the night for the Devils was blocked shots and turning blocked shots into scoring opportunities. With about 5:30 left in the game, Stempniak blocked a Flyers point shot that allowed him to skate off on a breakaway, though his shot went wide of Mason’s cage. Then with about 3:30 left, Jordin Tootoo blocked a shot that almost allowed him to go off to the races, but was broken up by Philly. Palmieri also had a blocked shot for a partial breakaway attempt.

With about 1:30 left in the game, Flyers coach Dave Hakstol called a timeout and the Flyers pulled Mason after winning the ensuing faceoff. The Flyers pressed late, and with about fifteen or twenty seconds left, Jakub Voracek passed the puck through Cory Schneider’s goal crease to Wayne Simmonds, who appeared to miss the wide open net. On the replay, it could be seen that Andy Greene had actually tipped the pass away, collected it and fired it down the length of the rink for the empty net goal at 19:53. It was Greene’s first of the season, unassisted.

Schneider again had a great game, making 27 saves on the night. But offensively, the player of the game for the Devils was Palmieri (who was named the game’s second star by attending media). He, along with linemate Zajac, has been a great one-two punch for the Devils for the last few games, and tonight was no different. The Montvale native has quickly become one of the Devils’ on-ice leaders and someone the Devils can look to to get the team going offensively. Palmieri has also jumpstarted Zajac, who has been idling for the last few years, has been getting help from Palmieri and has been able to finish for him.

Next up, the Devils are off on a rough stretch. Bluntly put, they needed this game. Starting the afternoon of Halloween, the Devils have a home-and-home with the Islanders (including their first regular season trip to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on November 3) and then, the Stanley Cup champs come to town when the Blackhawks visit on November 6. The Devils are in for a real test in the coming weeks, but it is nice to have this victory under their belts.