Barry Trotz worked his magic. A ghost was resurrected Saturday night in Newark, as Kieffer Bellows replaced Anders Lee and scored two goals, giving the Islanders a 3-2 victory over the Devils3-2 victory over the Devils.

Bellows has been absent from the lineup since a rough outing Feb. 18 in Pittsburgh. Tonight, Trotz called on him to replace Lee, and replace is what he did.

Down 2-1 going into the third period, the Islanders needed a goal to tie the game. Bellows got the first on a beautiful feed from Mathew Barzal and got his second on a power move in front of Devils goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood.

From there, it was all Islanders, and New York earned their 39th and 40th points in this young season. They are on pace for over 115 points over a full 82-game season.

And for a few minutes before the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning earned victories, the Islanders were the best team in hockey.

The youth movement is a big reason why. Before Bellows scored his third and fourth career NHL goals, Oliver Wahlstrom notched a tally of his own, his fifth goal of the season and his second goal in Newark this year.

Senyon Varlamov earned 26 saves, including a few big ones to keep the game in reach during a rough second period.

New York won their eighth consecutive hockey game, while the Devils lost their 10th straight home game in regulation.

Pavel Zacha has not been the reason why, however. He scored his seventh goal of the season 6:37 into the first period. Janne Kuokkanen also scored for New Jersey on an athletic play.

Kieffer Bellows and the Islanders will battle the Devils once again tomorrow at 5 p.m. EST at Prudential Center.

Photo courtesy of Bill Kostroun/AP Photo. Statistics courtesy of the National Hockey League.

David Lazar