NY Islanders squander two-goal lead as NJ Devils steal overtime win on Hughes goal

The New York Islanders found another painful way to leave points on the table Saturday night, blowing a two-goal third-period lead in a 5-4 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils at UBS Arena.

Jack Hughes scored the winner 1:18 into overtime, but the goal didn't come without controversy. Rookie Matthew Schaefer appeared to be tripped moments before Hughes ended the game, leaving the Isles frustrated with the officiating.

"It could have been both ways, but I thought I did," Schaefer said of the potential trip.

The bigger problem was that the Islanders never should have needed overtime in the first place.

Despite being badly outshot, the Isles carried a 4-2 lead into the third period behind goals from Anthony Duclair, Schaefer, Simon Holmstrom and Victor Eklund.

New Jersey's Luke Evangelista cut the deficit to one before consecutive penalties to Holmstrom and Adam Pelech gave the Devils a lengthy power-play opportunity. Dougie Hamilton eventually tied the game with 6:18 remaining.

The officiating certainly raised eyebrows. New Jersey received four power plays while the Isles weren't awarded a single opportunity. Head coach Pete DeBoer declined to address the discrepancy afterward.

But the most troubling statistic wasn't the penalty differential.

It was the shots.

The Devils outshot the Isles 50-23, marking the first time since March 2018 that the team surrendered 50 shots in a game.

If not for Ilya Sorokin, who delivered a spectacular 45-save performance, the Islanders likely wouldn't have been in position to earn even one point.

Schaefer continued his remarkable offensive start, collecting his 14th point over his last 12 games.

Still, the Isles fell to 7-6-3, extending a frustrating stretch in which competitive performances haven't translated into victories.

For a team desperately trying to climb back into the playoff picture, surrendering a two-goal lead at home is the kind of missed opportunity that could loom large come April.

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