GAME STORY: Islanders 4, Devils 1

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - The New Jersey Devils fell short in their attempts to win their third straight game and lost to the New York Islanders 4-1 Thursday night. This was the first time this season, the Devils did not earn a single point from a game.
"We have a lot of young players, we have to learn how not to lose and that was a huge lesson right at the end of the [first] period, not to give those guys that opportunnity to get that second goal," said Devils Head Coach Lindy Ruff.
"[The Islanders] you know what you're gonna get out of them, they play hard," said Bastain following the game. "They're fast and they're always playing the right way so we're gonna see them a bunch this year and we'll put the first [game] behind us."

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New Jersey home Sunday to host the New York Islanders. Sunday's game is on MSG and can be heard on the Devils Hockey Network, including right here at NewJerseyDevils.com. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. ET.
In the loss, Nathan Bastian scored his first goal of the season and Ty Smith extended his points streak to four games. Smith became the 11th defenseman in NHL history to start his career with a points streak of four or more games. He is only one of three active players to do so, with Zach Werenski and Cale Makar also achieving this.

Devils starting goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood was put on the team's COVID protocol list so backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood got the start tonight.
"[The] backup role you never know what's going to come your way so I started preparing the same way last night," said Wedgewood on his start.
"I thought he played a solid game. We put him under duress, we gave him some situations, we gave him some big time chances that he made some great saves, and he gave us a chance to win," said Ruff.
About five minutes in tonight's game, Mathew Barzal opened the scoring for the Islanders. Barzal got the puck in the neutral zone, skated all the way in to net and his wrister shot went far-post high against Scott Wedgewood. Islanders led 1-0 early in the first period.
The Islanders controlled a lot of the game's tempo in the first period, and the Devils had to withstand a flurry of shots during one of the home team's substantial times in the offensive zone. In the final minute of the period, the Devils saw a strong shift from their fourth line of Janne Kuokkanen, Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastian, however, following that possession, Islanders Jordan Eberle scored to make it 2-0 Islanders with only 21 seconds left in the first period.
After the first twenty minutes, the Islanders outshot the Devils 15-6 and had a 2-0 lead. Unlike past games for the Devils, there was no special teams play in the first period. The Devils had a slight face-off advantage, winning 53% that period.

The Devils came out strong in the second period and Nathan Bastian scored with 17:49 on the clock to cut the Islanders lead in half. Ty Smith found Bastian in the neutral zone. Bastian entered the zone, made room and scored. Smith's assist increases his points streak to four straight games.
New Jersey's top line continued the Devils quick start with another period of sustained time in the offensive zone with several close shots and good, quick passing.
With 11:14 left in the second period, the Devils get their first power play of the game when Brock Nelson is sent to the box. Josh Bailey on the Islanders got a great chance shorthanded but Wedgewood comes up big with the save. The penalty is killed off before the Devils can get the tying goal.
With just over six minutes minutes left in the second, Ty Smith was sent to the box for hooking and the Devils had their first penalty kill of the night. Although the Islanders had several shots, the Devils killed off the penalty and the score remained 2-1.
Throughout the second period, the Devils looked much stronger especially offensively. Wedgewood also grew confidence throughout the game, stopping some big shots late in the second period and kept the Islanders from increasing their lead.
Although the Islanders had a last second push to try to score before the end of the period, Wedgewood and the Devils kept the home team from adding another. The Islanders 2-1 lead continued, however the Devils cut the shots deficit and outshot their opponents 13-9 that period. The Islanders won 62% of the face-offs so far, and neither team capitalized on their power play opportunity.
The third period started out with a Devils penalty kill after Travis Zajac was called for hooking with 18:28 on the board. Jordan Eberle scored less than 20 seconds in to the penalty and the Islanders increased their lead to 3-1.
Two minutes later, the Devils went back on the penalty kill for too many men on the ice and the Islanders scored again on the power play. Brock Nelson tipped Nick Leddy's shot to make it 4-1 Islanders. Nelson had just returned to the game after his visor cut his face in an accidential collision with P.K. Subban.
Nelson's goal would be the final of the night as the Islanders took the first of eight meetings between these two teams. In the loss, Devils goaltender Scott Wedgewood, who last played an NHL game in February of 2018, had 31 saves on 35 shots.
Tonight's goal scorer, Nathan Bastian's line, which includes Janne Kuokkanen and Michael McLeod, had a strong night and had some of the team's brightest moments in the loss.
"I thought they were our best line, not only because they scored but I thought just their tenacity around the puck," said Ruff. "They did a nice job for us...I think as a group they probably could have attacked the net a little bit more, shot a few more but they put themselves in position to which was good to see."
The Devils will host the Islanders on Sunday night for the second game in this home and home series. Sunday's game is on MSG + and full coverage can be found on NewJerseyDevils.com.