Jack Hughes ripped an overtime winner past Ilya Sorokin Saturday, extending the New Jersey Devils’ red-hot streak to four games with a wild 5-4 rally over the New York Islanders. This wasn’t just another win; the Devils battled back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to seal the deal, showing pure grit when it mattered most.
Third Period Fury Unleashed
The Islanders looked like they had this one locked up, holding a two-goal lead deep into the third period. But these Devils refused to quit. Luke Evangelista kicked off the improbable comeback, pulling New Jersey within a single goal at the 6:08 mark of the third. The momentum shift was palpable. Then, with just 6:18 left in regulation, Dougie Hamilton unleashed a power-play rocket. Hughes, ever the playmaker, curled around the net before finding Hamilton in the slot for that absolutely massive tying goal. Talk about clutch plays when the game’s on the line!
Before the late-game heroics, the game was a seesaw battle. Anthony Duclair opened the scoring for New York in the first period, but Evan Rodrigues answered back a mere 17 seconds later to tie it up. Matthew Schaefer put the Islanders back ahead with his fifth goal of the season, giving New York a 2-1 lead after the first. Declan Chisholm then tied things up at 2 just 4:42 into the second period, burying a rebound after Jesper Bratt’s shot took a crazy bounce off the end boards. The Islanders’ other goals came from Simon Holmstrom and Victor Eklund, keeping them in the fight until the Devils’ late surge.
OT Heroics and Goalie Showdowns
With the game tied 4-4, it headed to overtime, and Jack Hughes seized his moment. Keeping the puck on a two-on-one rush, he fired a shot past Ilya Sorokin’s blocker with 3:42 remaining, ending the game and cementing the Devils’ incredible comeback. Jake Allen held down the fort for the Devils, making 19 saves throughout the night.
On the other end, Islanders captain Bo Horvat chipped in with two assists, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Devils’ charge. Sorokin was absolutely bombarded, finishing with a staggering 45 saves. The Islanders netminder made some incredible stops, including denying Devils captain Nico Hischier on a breakaway in the closing seconds of the second period, and then again stopping a one-timer from Hischier in the opening minute of the third. Those saves kept the Islanders in it for a long time, but even Sorokin’s brilliance couldn’t overcome the Devils’ relentless attack.
The Devils are rolling, now on a four-game winning streak. They’re heading to Toronto on Sunday, looking to keep that momentum going against the Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, the Islanders have dropped their third straight and will try to regroup on Monday when they visit San Jose. They’ll need to shake off this tough loss and figure out how to close out games if they want to turn things around.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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