Sports

Severson Nets 2 As Devils Top Islanders To End 6-Game Skid

January 16, 2018 / 11:35 PM EST / CBS New York

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NEW YORK (AP) — Damon Severson scored twice 1:26 apart in New Jersey's three-goal second period, and the Devils ended a six-game skid with a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall also scored for New Jersey, which was 0-3-3 since beating Detroit at home on Dec. 27. Keith Kinkaid, getting the start after Cory Schneider was a late scratch due to illness, stopped 25 shots.

Anders Lee scored and Jaroslav Halak made 38 saves as the Islanders snapped a three-game winning streak that started with a 5-4 shootout victory over the Devils here on Jan. 7.

New Jersey trailed less than two minutes in but got four straight goals starting with Palmieri's score late in the first period.

Halak, who faced more than 35 shots on goal for his 10th straight start, made nice stops on in-close tries by Brian Boyle and Brian Gibbons with about 7 1/2 minutes left in the middle period to keep the score tied.

However, Severson gave the Devils the lead about 30 seconds later as he got the rebound of a shot by Gibbons and beat Halak from the right circle. It was the defenseman's fifth goal of the season and first in 12 games.

Severson doubled the Devils' lead on a one-timer from the deep center point near the blue line with 5:36 remaining.

Hall made it 4-1 with his team-leading 16th with 1:40 left as he skated up the left side on a 2-on-1 break and beat Halak on a shot the goalie got a piece of.

The Devils had a 30-17 advantage on shots on goal through the first 40 minutes.

Halak was tested from the start as the Devils had two chances in front in the first 46 seconds.

Lee got the Islanders on the scoreboard 1:39 into the game. He blocked a shot by John Moore and then took the puck away from the Devils' defenseman, skated in and beat Kinkaid through the five-hole for his team-leading 26th of the season.

It marked the second straight game New York scored on its first shot of the game and within the opening two minutes. Anthony Beauvillier did it in the Islanders' 5-4 overtime win at Montreal on Monday night.

The Devils took over from there.

New Jersey, which came in seventh in the NHL on the power play at 21.8 percent, tied it with the man advantage with 4:40 left in the opening period as Palmeiri beat Halak with a one-timer from the left circle for his eighth.

The Islanders' Brock Nelson and New Jersey captain Andy Greene tussled briefly as time expired in the first. Both received five-minute penalties to start the second period.

NOTES: New York has been outshot 493-374 in the last 12 games, with Halak starting 10. That includes the 56 faced by Thomas Greiss in the Islanders' 5-4 overtime win at Montreal on Monday night. ... New York lost for just the second time in 18 games when scoring the first goal. ... The teams play two more times — both in New Jersey — on Feb. 24 and March 31. ... Hall extended his points streak to five games with four goals and five assists in the stretch. ... Devils D Sami Vatanen had an assist on Palmieri's goal, giving him 99 for his career in 299 games. ... New Jersey improved to 17-0-2 when leading after two periods.

UP NEXT:

Devils: Host Metropolitan Division-leading Washington on Thursday night.

Islanders: Host Boston on Thursday night before a three-game trip heading into the All-Star break.