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For the Islanders, securing two points and a well-deserved three-day respite came as a perfect holiday gift.
The team’s most complete performance in five games was delivered without Bo Horvat, their leading scorer. The anticipation is that Horvat will return for Saturday’s matchup against the Rangers, making Tuesday night’s 2-1 victory over the Devils, capped by Adam Pelech’s late-game winner, even more gratifying.
Despite missing both Horvat and Ilya Sorokin—who was sidelined due to a minor issue but is expected back after the Christmas break—the Islanders dominated New Jersey in an exhilarating 60 minutes of back-and-forth hockey.
The team had no trouble crowding the net and creating scoring opportunities. Mat Barzal delivered a standout performance, while Cal Ritchie enjoyed one of the most impressive games of his budding career.
The Islanders’ only setback was an unforced error that allowed Simon Holmstrom to score in the second period. Otherwise, Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom was a formidable presence in the net.
So, despite a 10-2 edge on high-danger chances in the second, the Islanders had just a 1-1 tie to show for it heading into the final 20 minutes, with Brett Pesce’s wrister having gotten New Jersey on the board at 15:35 of the first.
That was how it continued for much of the third: the Islanders all over the Devils, the Islanders unable to score.
David Rittich, when called upon on odd-man rushes against Luke Glendening and Connor Brown, was every bit as good as Markstrom opposite him.
With under five minutes to go, it was the rare 1-1 game that had not only had no penalties committed by either team, but which could have been 4-4.
Rittich, after pushing Timo Meier off him after the Devils forward barged into the net, drew chants of his name from the UBS crowd, a first this season.
Finally, with 1:15 to go in regulation and the game inevitably headed to overtime, the Islanders got something to go.
After Simon Holmstrom missed the net on what looked like a golden chance off the rush, Anders Lee picked the puck off the end wall and fed Adam Pelech, who promptly rifled it into the net for a 2-1 lead.
That was how it stayed after 75 seconds of frantic six-on-five play.
The Islanders were quietly confident they had found something that worked in the second half of Saturday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Sabres. That was proven correct.
All four lines generated chances and controlled play on Tuesday. Jack Hughes, who has turned UBS Arena into a personal playground numerous times in the past, was held quiet.
There was requisite intensity on the forecheck.
Rittich, making consecutive starts for the first time this season, was solid in net, too, turning aside 27 of 29 shots.
With 44 points in 37 games at the break, the Islanders are sitting above the playoff cutline and far outpacing the expectations of 10 weeks ago.
They won’t get Alexander Romanov or Kyle Palmieri back this season, but if Horvat and Sorokin are both back next week, the Islanders will be primed to make a run at the wide-open Eastern Conference.