Islanders Defeat The Devils

Teammates congratulate Nilsson after his shutout (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)

          The Islanders won the first of three straight meetings with the New Jersey Devils, beating them 1-0, Sunday afternoon at the Coliseum. 
          Right-winger Kyle Okposo scored the only goal and goaltender Anders Nilsson stopped all twenty-four Devils shots for his first career NHL victory.
          It was the first time ever that an Islanders rookie goaltender got his first win while posting a shutout.  In fact it was the first time since the '08-'09 season that a goalie has accomplished such a feat.  Current Islander goalie, Al Montoya, was the last one to do it while he was on the Phoenix Coyotes.  
          With the win the Islanders now have 65 points, which puts them 5 points behind the eighth place Winnipeg Jets.  
         From the start the physicality of the game was out in full force.  The teams were trading hits with each other.  At the end of the game the Devils had twenty-three hits, while the Islanders had twenty.  
          The first period saw no scoring but many scoring chances.  A few of the Islanders chances clanked off the posts and crossbar.  The period ended with the Islanders outshooting the Devils 10-6.
          The second period saw the lone goal of the game.  Okposo was able to out work three Devils before burying a wrist shot under the pads of Devils goaltender, Martin Brodeur.  It was Okposo's fifteenth of the year.  The teams would continue to exchange chances none of which got by either goalie.  The Islanders outshot the Devils again, 8-6.
          The Devils would control more of the play in the third getting more pucks toward the rookie Nilsson.  However, Nilsson was up to challenge and stopped every shot the Devils threw at him to win the game.  
          After the game Nilsson acknowledged his teammates for the help they gave him. “I thank all the guys,” Nilsson said. “They blocked a lot of shots and when a shot got through, it was from the boards. They made it really easy for me to play out there today.”  The game ended with the Islanders having twenty-seven blocked shots, while the Devils only had eighteen.
          The trilogy now heads south to Newark, where the two teams will meet again on Thursday night.  Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM.