Devils fend off new-look Canucks

NEW JERSEY 5 VANCOUVER 4 (OT)

The New Jersey Devils are playing so well this season, they’re even winning when coach Lindy Ruff is unhappy with their game.

Jesper Bratt scored on a power play with 43 seconds left in overtime and the Devils beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 on Monday night after squandering a three-goal lead.

“I just think we got lucky,” Ruff said after the Devils improved to 9-1-1 in their last 11 games. “I think the last 10 minutes of the third period that it was all Vancouver. I’m not going to sugarcoat anything. They had two or three opportunities, they could have won the game. I feel like we got lucky.”

Not only did the Devils blow a 4-1 lead, they failed to convert on a 37-second two-man advantage in the third period after the Canucks tied the game at 4-all. They needed another power play in overtime to improve to 9-4 in overtime this season.

New Jersey has gone to overtime six of the last seven games, winning five of them.

“We know we’re really good hockey team now,” said Jack Hughes, who scored his 34th and 35th goals of the season and set up Bratt’s game winner. “We got a good squad so I mean, I don’t know if it’s adversity or anything like that. We just got to play the full 60 minutes and we’ve been doing it, but tonight was a little bit of an off night but we came out the win.”

Ondrej Palat also scored two goals apiece and Vitek Vanecek made 26 saves in winning his 10th straight game for New Jersey.

Andrei Kuzmenko, Luke Schenn, Curtis Lazar and Phillip Di Giuseppe scored for the Canucks, who were playing for the first time since trading captain and leading goal scorer Bo Horvat to the Islanders during the all-star breeak for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty and a conditional 2023 first round pick.

“I thought we played a pretty darn good game on the road after the break,” Canucks centre J.T. Miller said. “We had a lot of heart today, a lot of pride, character as a team. I think that’s a really good hockey team over there and we easily could have quit at 4-1.”

Collin Delia made 29 saves for Vancouver, but he had no chance on the one-time by Bratt, who was set up by a cross-ice pass by Hughes. Delia had stopped Hughes on an overtime breakaway.

“I didn’t get a good read on it,” Delia said of Bratt’s 20th goal. “I need to beat that on my feet so I can get a sightline on it. I went to slide there and I didn’t see the release. You just beat me high glove.”

The Devils seemed to be in control when Palat twice scored and Hughes once in a 50 second span midway through the second period to stake New Jersey to a 4-1 lead.

The Canucks, who have worked hard for new coach Rick Tocchet, clawed their way back. Schenn scored on a point shot with 4:31 left in the second period and Lazar tallied in close with 27 seconds to go.

Di Giuseppe knotted the game at 4-all at 6:02 on a 2-on-1 chance.

Kuzmenko gave the Canucks the lead 3:35 after the opening faceoff with a great move and shot. Hughes tied the contest, beating Delia with a backhander in close on a 1-on-1 chance.

The Canucks move on to Manhattan to face the Rangers on Wednesday.

Islanders 2, Flyers 1

PHILADELPHIA — The Bo Horvat era began promisingly for the Islanders.

He was noticeable at both ends of the ice despite not recording a point and the Islanders won their third straight, 2-1, over the Flyers on Monday night at Wells Fargo Center. They acquired the former Canucks captain during the all-star break/ bye week and signed him to an eight-year, $68-million extension.

The Islanders (26-22-5) also scored their first power play goal in 11 games as they matched the Penguins’ 57 points. The Penguins hold the final wild-card spot.

Horvat’s debut also marked a potential long-term switch in roles for Mathew Barzal, provided the two can find chemistry as linemates. Horvat centred the top line while Barzal slid over to right wing. Josh Bailey completed the trio.

“Maybe it allows me to use my speed a little more. Maybe a little more attacking one-on-one. I feel I can do that kind of stuff. Me and Bo have chatted. It’s just going to be a lot of reading off each other,” Barzal said.