The New Jersey Devils maintained their recent sizzling form with a 3-2 shootout victory over the New York Islanders on Sunday.
Brian Rolston scored the deciding goal in the sixth round of the shootout, faking a shot before stepping around Al Montoya in the Islanders goal and lifting the puck into the empty net.
“He [Montoya] was moving really well to the backhand side, so I thought I’d deke and go to my forehand on him,” Rolston said. “I just froze him enough. It was a good one to get.”
Devils coach Jacques Lemaire called on players who perform well when the team practices the shootout, but also noticed Rolston on the bench for another reason.
“Rolie [Rolston] was standing up. He wasn’t sitting. He was looking at me a lot. I knew he wanted to go,” said Lemaire of his choice. “He sold me. He didn’t talk to me, but just the way he was I knew he wanted to go.”
The Devils have been 20-2-2 since early January and continue to make an improbable charge towards a playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
Rolston opened the scoring with a power-play goal early in the second period, which was countered by Josh Bailey of the Islanders, also on the power-play, later in the period.
Ilya Kovalchuk restored the Devils’ one-goal lead with a snap shot immediately after New Jersey killed off an Islanders power-play early in the third.
The Devils looked to have the game well in hand until a giveaway by Mark Fayne directly in front of goalie Martin Brodeur landed on the stick of Blake Comeau, who tied the game with a quick wrist shot.
“I think we’re happy with the way we played,” Bailey said. “We would have liked to get some more shots, but that’s the type of game they play. They don’t really let you get too much offensively.”
RANGERS 7, FLYERS 0
In New York, Ryan Callahan scored a career-high four goals and five points as the New York Rangers finally found some success at home in a dominating victory over the sliding Philadelphia Flyers.
Callahan, who had nine previous two-goal games and two four-points outbursts in the NHL, scored twice in the first period when New York built a 2-0 lead, added another in the second when the edge grew to 4-0 and netted his 20th of the season in the third with a goal off his skate.
New York got top-line forward Marian Gaborik back in the lineup for the first time in seven games following a concussion. Mats Zuccarello added two goals and Artem Anisimov also scored for the Rangers, who snapped a four-game losing streak at home while wearing their road whites at Madison Square Garden for the first time this season.
In other NHL play, it was:
‧ Capitals 3, Panthers 2, OT
‧ Flames 3, Predators 2
‧ Canucks 3, Ducks 0
‧ Sabres 3, Wild 2, OT
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