Islanders Thrash Devils 6-0 in Saturday Statement Win

The Islanders delivered the most emphatic result of the young NHL season on Saturday, blanking the Devils 6-0 in a rivalry game that left New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe searching for answers. Keefe didn't sugarcoat it afterward: "we were playing preseason hockey against a team that was probably playing February-type hockey... we failed that stress test."

The shutout was a statement from the Islanders after an uneven start to the campaign, and it came at the expense of a Devils side that had begun the season with genuine optimism. What followed was what Keefe called "a real dud" — a flat performance in every department against an opponent playing with midseason intensity.

Elsewhere around the league on Saturday, Utah continued its flying start by outscoring opponents 10-1 across its first two games, Edmonton beat Seattle 3-1, Ottawa rallied past Toronto 3-2, and Nashville edged Dallas 2-1. But the night belonged to Long Island, where the Islanders' six-goal demolition served notice that they intend to be a factor from the opening weeks of the season.