NEW YORK _ Home ice is becoming somewhat of a troubling disadvantage for the Islanders.
It's four straight losses now at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum after an entertaining but ultimately unsatisfactory 2-1 loss to the Metropolitan Division-worst Devils on Thursday night.
The Islanders (25-11-3), who had won two in a row, fell to 13-5-2 at home after playing in the offensive zone for much of the first two periods.
But Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 29 shots for the Devils (15-19-6), who won their third straight. He got somewhat lucky when Leo Komarov, bearing down on the crease with less than five minutes left in regulation, opted for an unsuccessful pass to Casey Cizikas rather than shooting at close range.
Semyon Varlamov also made 29 saves as he started a season-high third straight game for the Islanders.
The Islanders will play five of their next eight at home, with one game at Barclays Center in that stretch.
Typically, Islanders coach Barry Trotz deflects questions about playing well at home and/or on the road by saying the team plays the same regardless of the site.
However, after dropping three straight at the Coliseum before the holiday break _ 8-3 to the Predators, a 6-5 shootout loss to the Ducks and 3-2 to the Blue Jackets _ Trotz put an emphasis on re-establishing a home-ice advantage.
"We've talked about it," Jordan Eberle said. "We haven't been great at home so far."
Added Trotz, "Re-establishing ourselves in the Coliseum is primary. We lost three with not great efforts."
The game marked the first between the Metropolitan Division rivals _ the Islanders also have not played the Rangers _ and the Isles and Devils again will play Tuesday in New Jersey. In fact, five of the Islanders' next 11 games heading into the All-Star break/bye week are against either the Devils or Rangers.
The Devils improved to 5-2-1 since trading former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall on Dec. 16 and are 6-6-2 under interim coach Alain Nasreddine.
"There is an effect with it. It's sort of the elephant in the room," Trotz said of the near-certainty that Hall eventually would be traded this season after the Devils started slowly. "They've had a coaching change and a recommitment to a 200-foot game. They're playing free. There's not a lot of pressure on them."
The Islanders had an apparent goal overturned by Nasreddine's successful challenge for goalie interference 39 seconds into the second period. Komarov, at the crease, had stuffed in the rebound of defenseman Devon Toews' initial shot, but video review determined Komarov impaired Blackwood's ability to play the puck.
Brock Nelson's four-on-four goal after being sprung by defenseman Ryan Pulock through the neutral zone did count as the Islanders took a 1-0 lead at 7:33 of the second period.
But defenseman P.K. Subban's blast from the right point tied it at 1-1 at 18:33 of the second period after Travis Zajac beat Nelson on an offensive-zone faceoff.
Nelson lost a defensive-zone draw to Nico Hischier that led to Hischier skating to the crease and tucking the puck around Varlamov's right skate as the Devils took a 2-1 lead at 1:09 of the third period.
Anders Lee just missed giving the Islanders a two-goal edge at 12:56 of the second period as his shot from below the right circle went off the near post.
