Devils 4, Islanders 1: Haula, Holtz star in convincing win

New Jersey moved to 2-0 in preseason play with a three-goal victory over the New York Islanders.

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The New Jersey Devils moved to 2-0 in preseason play on Tuesday night, picking up a rather convincing 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders.

A few observations:

Erik Haula stood out

I thought Erik Haula was one of the best players on the ice from start to finish. He was hounding after the puck all night long and looked surprisingly dangerous with it on his stick.

He distributed the puck extremely well in the opening frame, setting up shot after shot in high-danger areas. He actually led all Devils with five shot assists in the 1st period.

The playmaking disappeared a little bit as the game progressed. Instead, Haula took over more of a role as a shooter. He played a simple north-south game and was driving to the paint for shots whenever he could.

He showed good hands in tight, especially when beating Cory Schneider short-side shelf after making a nice move.

I liked his chemistry with Dawson Mercer, in particular, and think they could be a nice little 3rd line duo if Alexander Holtz makes the team and snags a top-6 slot.

Speaking of…

Alexander Holtz looked ready