Barzal lifts Islanders past Devils in overtime

NEWARK, N.J. --Mathew Barzal scored with 1:20 remaining in overtime to give the New York Islanders a 4-3 win against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Friday.

Barzal took a lead pass from Brock Nelson at center ice during a Devils line change and scored his first game-winning goal this season and the second overtime goal of his NHL career for the Islanders, who had lost two straight.
Jordan Eberle, Anders Lee and Nick Leddy scored, and Valtteri Filppula had two assists for the Islanders (11-8-2). Thomas Greiss made 39 saves.
WATCH: [All Islanders vs. Devils highlights]
"That's a [line change] by us where everyone that's going has to be smart, and so credit to [Eberle] who he came off there and got me on the ice and [Nelson] stood tall at the blue line (against Devils forward Kyle Palmieri)," Barzal said. "I thought that was one of our best games in a while."

Taylor Hall had a goal and an assist, Brian Boyle and Marcus Johansson scored, and Keith Kinkaid made 31 saves for the Devils (9-9-3).
Johansson tied the game at 3-3 with 11 seconds remaining in the third period and Kinkaid pulled for an extra attacker.
"It's always big scoring with 10 seconds left to tie the game," Johansson said. "I wish we had a different outcome but unfortunately we didn't. It was good of us to battle back."

Leddy scored his first of the season on an end-to-end rush at 12:45 of the third to give the Islanders a 3-2 lead.
"I think we did a lot of really good things throughout the game," Leddy said. "We keep saying it, but we know how we have to play to be successful. I think we stuck to our structure in overtime and [Barzal] had a great goal."
Boyle tipped a shot past Greiss from the slot 2:43 into the third to tie the game 2-2. It was his 200th NHL point (113 goals, 87 assists).
Eberle gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead on a backhand that beat Kinkaid inside the left post 7:24 into the first period.

Hall tied the game at 1-1 with his seventh goal of the season 11:48 into the second period.
"It was up for grabs in overtime and we failed to make a play," Hall said. "We have to find a way when we get to OT to find a way to make plays and get two points. We started off slow. In a perfect game, you're going to start off guns a-blazing. We played solid in the last 40 minutes, but it's important to realize how much a bad start can put you behind."
Lee gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead when he scored off a snap shot at the right post at 14:14 of the second period.
"I liked our game," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "There was more skin in the battle than we've had in the last couple games. We would have liked to have gone through the 60 minutes without giving up the late goal, but I liked our response. I've been complaining about a sag after a goal and we didn't have that. We were hard and on track, doing the things I like."
It was the second straight season Boyle scored on Hockey Fights Cancer Night at Prudential Center. He did so on Nov. 24, 2017 in a 3-2 win against the Vancouver Canucks. Diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia on Sept. 19, 2017, Boyle told NHL.com on Oct. 24 the disease was in remission.
"I wish we won, obviously this is a special night," Boyle said.

They said it

"The coaches liked the way we were going at pucks, forcing turnovers. We're a 20-man roster and we're deep and we want to be hard to play against and that just doesn't mean hitting or fighting, it means being hard on pucks and quick on the forecheck because that makes it hard on teams too." -- Islanders forward Mathew Barzal
"It was an unfortunate first period; we have to be way better. [Kinkaid] was fantastic and gave us a chance. If he doesn't do that, the game is over in the first. I really liked our game in the second and third. We just kept fighting and pushing and it was also huge to get our first 6-on-5 goal this season." -- Devils defenseman Andy Greene

Need to know

Barzal has seven points (two goals, five assists) in his past seven games. ... Beauvillier has six points (four goals, two assists) in his past four games. ... Devils right wing Joey Anderson was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury sustained in the first period of a 5-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. ... New Jersey forward Pavel Zacha had his three-game goal streak end. ... The Devils failed to score on a 5-on-3 power play for 1:52 early in the first period when they had four shots on goal.

What's next

Islanders:Host the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; MSG+, FS-CR, NHL.TV)
Devils:At the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; MSG+, SUN, NHL.TV)