GAME STORY: Islanders 3, Devils 2

NEWARK, NJ - The Devils took an early lead and were in front for a good portion of the game but two goals in the third period by Kieffer Bellows turned the tide for the visiting New York Islanders in a 3-2 Devils loss on Saturday night.

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WHAT'S NEXT
The Devils face these same Islanders on Sunday. You can watch on MSG and listen on the Devils Hockey Network,
including right here at NewJerseyDevils.com.
Game time is 5:08 PM ET.
"It's a common theme where offensively, we had some looks to make it 3-1. Power play again let us down. Effort wise, we put a good effort in. We had people back. Got caught a little on the last two goals and it hurt us," said Devils head coach Lindy Ruff.
"There's things you like about the game," Ruff continued. "Our defensive zone coverage was better. We didn't allow the shots we allowed on the Island."
Bellows wired his first of the season from the hashmarks over the shoulder of Blackwood to tie the game once again.
Bellows scored again just over three minutes later to give the Islanders their first lead of the game.
"We had five guys back on the play," said Ruff. "I thought our net-front D should have just challenged him. We had our winger back to cover but let him walk net front and he got a great opportunity."
Islanders had the only seven shots in the period through the first 11 minutes of the third. Devils had some fight in the final minutes of the third but were unable to convert.
Mikhail Maltsev was called for interference on Josh Bailey, giving the game's first power play to the Islanders but the Devils were able to kill it off despite some strong pressure by the Islanders, the visitors racing out to a 5-1 lead in shots.
A minute after killing off the Maltsev penalty, the Devils scored the first goal of the night. Pavel Zacha skated through the neutral zone with speed and in the high slot, wristed it on goal, handcuffing Islanders netminder Semyon Varlamov.
Midway through the first, Andy Greene was called for hooking to give the Devils an initial power play chance.
The teams continued to trade power play chances as Jesper Bratt went to the box late in the period.
With seconds to go in the penalty, Devils had a great shorthanded chance, Pavel Zacha drove to the net and was denied at close range by Varlamov. Oliver Wahlstrom picked up the rebound and rushed up ice with the puck and rifled a shot in the high slot under the crossbar behind Mackenzie Blackwood to tie the game.
After one, shots on goal were 13-6 for the Islanders.
A minute into the second, Yegor Sharangovich wired a shot from the left circle off the bar and Janne Kuokkanen dove to bat a rolling puck over the line to regain the lead for New Jersey.
Midway through the second, Adam Pelech was called for hooking to send the Devils to the man advantage. They were unable to convert and then a series of Devils penalties in the latter half of the second resulted in a big test for the New Jersey penalty killers.
P.K. Subban was called for interference followed immediately by a too many men penalty, but the Devils were able to kill both off with relative ease.
With 1:36 to play in the period, Scott Mayfield took a penalty for the Islanders.
Shots on goal in the second period were 18-9 for the Devils and 24-22 for New Jersey overall through 40 minutes.
During the intermission, the NHL announced that referee Justin St. Pierre sustained an upper body injury and will not return to tonight's game, leaving Pierre Lambert as the lone referee for the remainder of the game. Devils opened the third with 24 seconds remaining on their power play but were unable to convert.