The New York Islanders lead the New Jersey Devils, 4-1, after two periods tonight at the Prudential Center.
The Devils led the second period in shots, 16-2. The Devils also hold the game lead in shots, 22-10.
Down 3-0 after one period, Travis Zajac broke the shutout at 1:21 of the period. Jamie Langenbrunner fed Patrik Elias with a pass in the neutral zone, sending the Devils' left-winger into the Islanders zone. Elias used a spinorama to move past Andrew MacDonald and put a backhanded shot on net. Roloson kicked away the shot, but a left a rebound near the front of the net. Zajac found the puck and fired it home for his fourth goal of the season.
That goal was the Devils' first even-strength goal in the past four games.
Frans Nielsen restored the three goal lead at 10:43 of the period. With his team shorthanded, Josh Bailey stripped the puck from Zajac at the slot. The Isles center carried the puck in on a shorthanded breakaway, and was pushed into Martin Brodeur. Brodeur stopped Bailey's chance, but was knocked off balance. Nielsen fired the loose puck past Brodeur for his seventh goal of the season.
Nielsen also has three shorthanded goals, tied for most in the league.
Dwayne Roloson helped frustrate the Devils throughout the period. The 41-year old goalie stopped 15 of 16 shots in the second period. After the period ended, Roloson slowly skated away from his crease, looking fatigued.
Matt Moulson, who left the game after an Anton Volchenkov hit in the first period, did not return to the bench for the second period.