# NHL preseason Devils and Islanders matchups > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/nhl-preseason-devils-and-islanders-matchups > Updated: 2026-09-21T05:41:14.000Z. Sources: 14. Developments: 2. The New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders faced each other in preseason NHL matchups. In the opening contest at the Prudential Center, the Devils secured a 2-1 victory. Ryan Schmelzer, captain of the Devils’ AHL affiliate, scored the tying goal in the second period following an Islanders power-play goal by Cole Eiserman. For the Islanders, head coach Pete DeBoer is emphasizing defensive structure and systems work during a condensed training camp. The franchise is also managing goaltending depth; while Ilya Sorokin is expected to lead, the team is monitoring Semyon Varlamov’s recovery from knee surgeries. Vitek Vanecek, signed to a one-year deal, serves as an insurance policy. In related roster developments, the Devils traded Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers for Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist to free up cap space and upgrade their bottom-six forward group. In a subsequent matchup, the Devils again defeated the Islanders with a 2-1 score. Goaltender David Rittich, playing against his former team, recorded 21 saves with a 95.7% success rate and was named the second star of the game. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-21: David Rittich leads New Jersey Devils to victory over Islanders David Rittich led the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 preseason win over the New York Islanders, while Dominik Badinka scored for Carolina in their loss to Florida. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/david-rittich-leads-new-jersey-devils-to-victory-over-islanders ### 2026-09-19: New Jersey Devils defeat New York Islanders 2-1 in preseason opener The New Jersey Devils beat the New York Islanders 2-1 in their NHL preseason opener. The Islanders are currently managing goaltending depth and defensive restructuring under new coach Pete DeBoer. 12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nhl-training-camps-begin-for-islanders-and-kraken --- Cite as: NHL preseason Devils and Islanders matchups. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/nhl-preseason-devils-and-islanders-matchups