Devils 3, Islanders 2 (SO)
Brian Rolston scored in the sixth round of the shootout and added a power-play goal in regulation to give the New Jersey Devils a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders on Sunday.
Ilya Kovalchuk recorded a goal and an assist in regulation and scored in the shootout for the Devils, who improved to 20-2-2 in their last 24 games to move within eight points of the Buffalo Sabres for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Frans Nielsen gave the Islanders a quick lead in the shootout but Kovalchuk matched him, beating Al Montoya with a wrister in the second round. No one scored again until Rolston, whose hesitation move in front of the net fooled Montoya enough to sneak in the winner.
New Jersey looked like it had the game in hand when Jacob Josefson brought it up the ice and dropped it for Kovalchuk, who wristed it from the right faceoff circle between Montoya’s pads at the 2:52 mark of the third for a 2-1 edge.
But the Devils botched a clearing pass with 3:42 remaining in the third and Blake Comeau intercepted it in the slot, slapping it past Brodeur to forge a 2-2 draw.