Newark, NJ – Brad Boyes scored 2:01 into overtime as the New York Islanders took a 5-4 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
After killing off 29 seconds of a New Jersey power play to start overtime, New York was awarded a man advantage when Henrik Tallinder was called for cross checking.
Martin Brodeur tried to play the puck behind the right side of his net, but flubbed the clear and John Tavares grabbed it along the boards. He brought it out front and got a shot on net that was stopped. A mad scramble ensued with Brodeur out of position and a Devil defender guarding the net, but Boyes was able to jam it in for the win.
"We talked about just finding a way going into the third period and learn how to win, find a way to win," said Boyes. "Our penalty kill has been great of late and so has our power play."
Tavares scored two goals and had an assist while Mark Streit and Keith Aucoin also scored for the Islanders, who have won their past two. Evgeni Nabokov allowed four goals on 32 shots in the win.
Tallinder, Adam Henrique, Steve Bernier and Ryan Carter all scored for the Devils, who have dropped their past three. Brodeur gave up all five goals on 35 shots in the loss.
"It's a character game because we've had a couple of these comeback games here," said Carter. "Next time we just have to find a way to get the win."
The Islanders got the only goal of the first period while on the power play as a short pass by Boyes at the slot went over to the right where Tavares had a wide open net for a 1-0 lead with 5:29 left.
In the second period, the Islanders made it a 2-0 game at the 2:41 mark with another power-play goal. Holding the puck along with right wing, Travis Hamonic sent a hard pass to the low left side where Aucoin banged it in for his fourth of the season.
The Devils, though, got one back just 32 seconds later as Bernier jammed it in during a scrum in front for his first of the season.
Just over three minutes later, New Jersey tied the game when Matt Anderson threw a shot on net from a sharp angle at the right side that was stopped, but Carter shot his second rebound attempt in.
New York came right back to again take the lead as Tavares rushed in down the left wing and held off a checker before sweeping the puck past Brodeur, who was near the bottom of the circle, for his fourth of the season.
New Jersey, though, tied the game with 2:48 to play in the middle stanza when Travis Zajac sent a pass from the deep right boards to the high slot where Tallinder took a stride to his left and ripped a shot over the left pad of Nabokov.
The Islanders made it a 4-3 game at the 11:32 mark of the third when good work along the right boards by David Ullstrom saw him send the puck back to the right point for Streit, who skated to the slot and threw a shot on net that Adam Larsson inadvertently tipped past his goaltender.
Just over two minutes later, though, the Devils tied it when David Clarkson brought the puck out from the left side of the net and shoveled it over to the low slot where Henrique lifted a backhander over Nabokov.
Game Notes
Tavares has four goals and seven assists through seven games this season ... The Devils plays at Pittsburgh on Saturday ... New York hosts New Jersey on Sunday ... The Devils beat the Islanders in the season opener on Jan. 19 ... New York was 3-for-4 on the power play while New Jersey failed on all five of its chances.
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