The New York Islanders have done it again. The young stars stole the show, boosting the Islanders’ win streak to eight games and propelling them to the top of the NHL standings.

First Period

Coming into the game, the Islanders were the consensus favorite to emerge victorious. However, that quickly changed when Pavel Zacha’s goal brought the Devils’ win probability from 45.4% to 66.9%. Nevertheless, Oliver Wahlstrom restored order for the Islanders, converting a wrist shot past MacKenzie Blackwood to tie the game.

Second Period

Early in the second period, Janne Kuokkanen scored to put the Devils in front. Despite several opportunities to extend their lead, the Devils could not get any more goals past Semyon Varlamov.

Third Period

The third period was the Kieffer Bellows show, as he scored the game-tying goal and the game-winning goal. Mathew Barzal made a beautiful feed to Bellows for his first goal, which is significant because this duo could prove to be extremely productive for the Islanders as they handle the injury of captain Anders Lee.

Most Productive Skaters (According to Expected Goal Differential)

1. Adam Pelech (0.85)
2. Mathew Barzal (0.58)
3. Jordan Eberle (0.55)
4. Janne Kuokkanen (0.52)
5. Ty Smith (0.49)

What’s Next?

The Islanders and Devils will face off once again tomorrow at 5:00 PM EST at the Prudential Center.

*All statistics are from Evolving-Hockey*

John Smark