Devils show maturity, resilience in tough loss to Islanders

The New Jersey Devils suffered a frustrating 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Islanders on Monday night at home. The loss marked the Devils’ first home loss of the season. Technically, the loss counts as an overtime loss. So, the middle column in New Jersey’s home record remains a 0, pushing them to 7-0-1 at home and 11-4-1 overall.

Beyond the loss itself, the Devils showed plenty of resilience in the game. The contest felt like a playoff game, with plenty of back-and-forth action. The Isles did their best to grind the Devils down. Meanwhile, the Devils did their best to let their skill and speed do the talking.

The game took an unexpected turn when the Islanders got a power play goal late in the third period. The Devils didn’t back down and got the equalizer with about five seconds to go in the game.

Here’s a look at Simon Nemec’s first goal of the season to tie the game:

The goal, as shown on the Devils’ official X account, displayed the team’s grit and determination down to the last seconds.

The game, unfortunately, did not have the expected out. Mathew Barzal’s goal sent the Devils packing. But managing a point out of such a tight contest is a testament to the Devils’ overall maturity level, despite still being a young team.

Devils showing signs of growing maturity this season

It’s easy to forget the New Jersey Devils are still very much a young team. The team’s rebuild/retool yielded a crop of promising prospects who are just now coming into their own.

Players like captain Nico Hischier are still only 26 years old. Meanwhile, Jack Hughes is 24. These are players who are just entering their primes at this point in their careers. It’s a scary thought that these players, who are already stars in the league, are just now hitting the peak of their careers.

Games like Monday night’s, as frustrating as they are, are a part of the process that contending teams go through. While the Devils can’t win them all, as long as the effort is there, the wins will come.

The Devils remain one of the Eastern Conference’s top contenders. The talent is there, and so is the effort. The biggest question is consistency. If the Devils’ consistency holds up for the entire season, there’s no reason to believe the team can’t be a serious playoff contender come next spring.

There’s plenty of hockey to be played. So, stay tuned.