On Sunday afternoon, the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders met inside RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House in Newark, New Jersey, for the first game action of the season.

As the stands filled with an energized group of fans, the Devils’ rookies took the ice, including top prospect Anton Silayev, marking the beginning of their preseason slate and the first opportunity to see the organization’s young talent on the ice.

After 60 minutes, the teams were tied at 4-4 with the home team getting goals from Mikael Diotte, Luke Wifley, and Matyas Melovsky (2). With 56.9 seconds remaining in overtime, Islanders forward Cole Eiserman scored the game-winner.

“We talked about making sure that at the end of the game we're looking back and the feedback that we were getting was that we were a competitive team, and make sure that was on the forefront,” Utica Comets head coach Ryan Parent said after the game. “I think the start of the game was as expected. There was a lot of energy, a lot of emotion, and guys were just anxious to get out there and play again. The game was a little bit choppy, but I thought the second period settled down, had a little more poise with the puck, and got some good opportunities from it, and then the compete to get back into it and make it a competitive game towards the end. I think the guys played hard.”

Devils lineup vs. Islanders

Ben Steeves - Matyas Melovsky - Lenni Hameenaho

Shane Lachance - Gabe Klassen - Cam Squires

Josh Filmon - Quinn McKenzie - Jeremy Wilmer

Cristophe Tellier - Luke Wifley - Nathan Lecompte

Anton Silaev - Seamus Casey

Ethan Edwards - Eamon Powell

Etienne Morin - Mikael Diotte

Jakub Málek

Game Notes and Observations

— Casey, Hämeenaho, and Melovsky were the three players wearing an “A”.

— With two minutes remaining in the opening period, Silaev laid a massive hit on Tomas Poletin below the goal line behind Malek. The Islanders naturally took exception, and a scrum ensued. Casey and Luca Romano were the two players assessed penalties on the play.

— The Islanders took a 1-0 lead early in the second period, as Daniil Prokhorov scored his first of the two-game series.

— It took 41 seconds for the Devils to tie and take the lead. Diotte scored his first of the scrimmage off a great play from Melovsky. Wifley potted New Jersey’s second goal with a wrist shot that beat Hood.

— The Islanders tied the game in the opening minutes of the third period as Prokhorov scored his second of the game.

— Diotte, known for playing a physical and emotional game, dropped the gloves, going up against Kadon McCann. By that point, he had already secured a goal and an assist. Not a bad outing for the defenseman.

— Melovsky scored New Jersey’s third and fourth goals. He finished the afternoon with three points: “He’s a really smart hockey player; the puck doesn’t slow him down, he does a great job of supporting it in the middle”, Parent said. “He can transport the puck really well. But I think what I saw tonight was kind of where he was trending last year, getting a lot stronger and confident with the puck. There were some plays where he has three guys around him, and he can still keep it on his stick.”

— I need to see more from Josh Filmon. In the opening period, he had a prime scoring opportunity in the opening period, but missed the net. In the second period, he had another opportunity, but Islanders goaltender Burke Hood made the save. Last season he played 11 games in the ECHL with the Adirondack Thunder and 31 with the Comets.

The Devils rookie will hit the ice on Monday for a practice in Newark before traveling to Long Island to conclude their series against the Islanders.

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Ethan Edwards

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