Hughes beat Ilya Sorokin blocker side on the breakaway after New York’s Matthew Schaefer lost the puck behind the Devils' net.
Luke Evangelista had a goal and an assist, and Dougie Hamilton, Evan Rodrigues and Declan Chisholm scored for the Devils (12-5-0) who have won four straight games and 10 of their past 12. Jake Allen made 19 saves.
Simon Holmstrom had a goal and an assist, and Matthew Schaefer, Victor Eklund and Anthony Duclair scored for the Islanders (7-6-3), who have lost three straight. Bo Horvat had two assists and Ilya Sorokin made 45 saves.
Duclair beat Allen low blocker side from atop the crease at 15:06 of the first period to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead. Holmstrom chased down a loose puck below the goal line and passed to Duclair cutting into the low slot.
Rodrigues tied the game 1-1 just 17 seconds later. Anthony Mantha sprung Rodrigues on a breakaway before he beat Sorokin glove side at 15:23.
Schaefer scored on his own rebound at the top of the crease to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead at 17:14. He scooped up the puck in the corner before cutting to the net.
Chisholm tied the game 2-2, scoring off a Jesper Bratt miss at 4:42 of the second period. Bratt’s shot from the right circle went off the end boards and out to Chisholm to the left of the crease.
Holmstrom scored just 26 seconds later to give the Islanders a 3-2 lead at 5:08. After a scramble in front of Allen, Kyle Palmieri found Holmstrom to the right of the net. Holmstrom controlled the puck with his right skate and beat Allen high glove side.
Eklund extended the Islanders’ lead to 4-2 at 11:54. Allen couldn’t stop a Tony DeAngelo wrist shot from the left face-off circle, and Eklund leaned over Allen to push the puck over the goal line.
Evangelista cut the Devils’ deficit to 4-3 at 6:08 of the third period. After Sorokin made a save off his initial shot, Evangelista banked the puck off Sorokin’s back and in from below the goal line.
Hamilton tied the game 4-4 on the power play at 13:41. Jack Hughes circled the net before finding Hamilton in the slot, where he beat Sorokin blocker side.
