The streak is over.
On Sunday at Barclays Center, the Islanders snapped a concerning five-game skid in dramatic fashion, coming from behind to beat the Devils, 5-4, in a shootout.
Desperate for a win as they inched near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division, the Isles came together Saturday to try to find answers.
“We did some soul-searching yesterday for eight or nine hours,” coach Doug Weight said. “I think teams go through these things. We’re not happy about it, but I think it makes everybody look in the mirror.”
With forwards Josh Bailey and Andrew Ladd sidelined by injuries, several others stepped up to help the Islanders erase a two-goal deficit and topple the Devils for the eighth straight time at home.
Heading into the third period knotted at 2-2, the Devils seemed to seize control with two quick scores — one from Miles Wood, the other from Taylor Hall — in the first four minutes. But the Islanders refused to go away as rookie defenseman Sebastian Aho, playing in his third NHL game, took advantage of a power play to notch his first career score and then assisted on a Cal Clutterbuck goal to tie the game and send it to overtime.
“We showed great character in the third,” Aho said. “They got two fast goals. We could have easily laid down and given up. Just stuck to the game plan and kept going.
“I’ve dreamed about [my first goal] since I was a little boy. I’m going to remember this night forever, that’s for sure.”
Neither team could convert in the extra period, with the Islanders impressively killing a penalty in the waning minutes to force the shootout.
Through five rounds, Isles center Brock Nelson was the only one to find the back of the net, as goalie Jaroslav Halak, who made a season-high 42 saves in the game, hung tough.
Weight said it was the “best game” that both Nelson and recently recalled Anthony Beauvillier, who scored on a one-timer off a feed from Mathew Barzal in the second period, had played all season.
Asked if this was the gutsiest win of the year, Nelson responded: “Probably, with how things have been going. And to get down two early in the third there, you could have easily let it get out of hand. But guys did a great job.”
After their surprisingly hot start, the Devils are showing signs of slowing down, having lost five in a row.
“My biggest assessment [of the season so far] is that we really have to learn, and dig in, on how to win. How do you win tough games? That’s our biggest challenge right now,” Devils coach John Hynes said.
It was a challenge the Isles were equal to in the thrilling victory, as they improved to 21-18-4 overall and 13-5-3 at Barclays.
According to Weight, his guys “earned” the upcoming league mandated bye week, which will run until Saturday when the Islanders visit the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
“It was a great, really aggressive, confident effort,” he said. “It’s been a really tough two weeks and this is one game, but it’s a big one for us going into the break.”