Devils Outmanned by Islanders in 5-2 Loss | GAME STORY

The Devils and Islanders had two very different lineups tonight. And New Jersey was handed a 5-2 defeat at UBS Arena, Thursday night.
Despite taking the 1-0 lead midway through the first on a Ryan Graves goal, the Islanders flipped the script with two goals in the span of 1:51 to close out the first. New Jersey did come back to tie the game on a power-play goal scored by Graeme Clarke.
The Islanders would follow up with three unanswered goals.
There were lessons to be learned in the game, with such differing rosters.
"It's a good evaluating point," head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. "When you're under pressure, when you're kind of under siege in your own end, which we haven't had a lot of this preseason, you get to see how players handle that. It's not a bad thing. I thought we had some good blocked shots, guys who don't normally put their bodies in front, put their bodies in front."
Nikita Okhotiuk led the team in blocked shots with four, Simon Nemec, Alexander Holtz, and Graves each had three.
It was a tale of very two different lineups going head-to-head tonight at UBS Arena. The Islanders had the majority of their opening night lineup on the ice, while the Devils had an array of players trying to make a potentially final impression with just two games left on New Jersey's preseason schedule.

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WHAT'S NEXT
The Devils wrap up their preseason schedule on Saturday with a game against the Bruins at TD Garden. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on the Devils Hockey Network, including right here at NewJerseyDevils.com. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. ET.
Here are a few observations from the game:
- The Devils had an early push in the first period, surviving a penalty kill where Mackenzie Blackwood lost his stick behind his net and not much of a pushback from the Islanders. That allowed Damon Severson to connect with Ryan Graves at 8:13 of the opening period, Severson finding Graves for the games opening goal.

There was a shift as the first period began to wind down, where the discrepancies in the two lineups began to take hold. In a span of 1:51 the Islanders flipped the game on it's head to take a 2-1 lead with goals from Mat Barzal and Noah Dobson.

- The first period was a difficult one for Jesper Boqvist and Nikita Okhotiuk, two players with NHL experience, both on the ice for the two Islanders goals. Earlier this morning, the two players talked about their up-and-down preseason play and needing to show more, particularly with the added depth the team acquired in the off-season. On back-to-back shifts in the first period, both players were on the ice for the two Islanders goals in 1:51 of play.

Despite difficult starts, they played a consistent role in the game, given opportunities to find their stride. Okhotiuk finished with four blocked shots in 17:40 of play, which also included one hit. While Boqvist finished the night with two shots and two hits in 17:23 of ice time.

Lindy Ruff said it was a tough night all around for many of his players.

"I thought some of the (Islanders) top guys, when you look at Barzal, (Brock) Nelson, we had a little bit of a tough time with their speed," Ruff said. "They took control of the game, we didn't end plays soon enough. They made it tough, they made it tough on everybody, our young guys, our older guys. But everybody was given a good opportunity to try and show what they could do."

- Graeme Clarke has been going about his preseason and training camp quietly, while also putting together the points. To date, this is the latest Clarke has stuck around a a training camp and has been making the most of his opportunity with another goal tonight against the Islanders. Clarke has three points, two goals and an assist, with the preseason winding down. Only Dougie Hamilton has more points this preseason, while Clarke is tied with Tomas Tatar with the second most.

"In a game like this its a lot of young forwards, you know everyone is trying to prove themselves," Clarke, who finished the night with a team-high six shots on goal, said. "I think last year I only got one preseason game, this year I think it's four. I think just gaining that experience, and them trusting me to be out there, just trying to stick around as long as I can. There are a lot of good guys around here, it's a really competitive camp, which is good."

- On several occasions, Mackenzie Blackwood was tested both physically and mentally. He faced a wraparound attempt by Mat Barzal early in the second period, where his movements were quick and smooth, able to move post-to-post to get his toe at the post, also aided by Okhotiuk who planted himself at the post.

On two of the Islanders goals, Blackwood was made to make a big save just prior to the rebounds being shot in behind him.

"I thought Blackwood was good, he made some big saves," Ruff said after the game.

- Alexander Holtz is still looking for his first goal of the preseason, but he's not letting the drought discourage him. He still feels he's making improvements in his game and is hoping that he's making enough of an impact to stay with the NHL club.

"That's what you prepare for the whole summer," Holtz said after the game. "That's what you dream of your whole life. It's been pressure since day one, so you have to handle that."

Holtz was given another opportunity tonight on the top line with Fabian Zetterlund and Jesper Boqvist. He played 15:49, including 2:30 on the power play with one shot on goal.

"I thought there was good moments, there was moments he skated well," head coach Lindy Ruff said, "Some of the puck play, he's got to understand, stronger on the puck play. But it's something a young player always has to learn. Almost every play is a 50/50 battle, where if you have your hands on the puck it can mean something. He had some puck play I think he would have liked to have back, but there are times inside the game I thought he really skated well too."