Jack Hughes scores second goal of night in OT as Devils rally to beat Islanders 4-3

NEW YORK (AP) — Jack Hughes got his second goal of the game 2:35 into overtime as the New Jersey Devils rallied from two goals down and beat the New York Islanders 4-3 on Saturday night.

Dawson Mercer and Stefan Noesen also scored for New Jersey, which won its third straight. Jacob Markstrom finished with 19 saves.

Simon Holmstrom had a goal and an assist, and Dennis Cholowski and Brock Nelson also scored for New York, which snapped a two-game win streak. Ilya Sorokin finished with 29 saves.

In the extra period, Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock broke his stick and Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton alertly made an outlet pass to set up Hughes for the breakaway for the win.

Cholowski and Nelson scored 1:56 apart midway through the third period to give the Islanders a 3-1 lead.

Mercer pulled the Devils within one with 4 1/2 minutes remaining, and Noesen tied it with 50 seconds to go when his pass for Nico Hischier deflected off Grant Hutton's skate and past Sorokin.

Islanders: Islanders defensemen have only contributed two goals, with Cholowski scoring both.

Devils: Despite 21-year-old defenseman Luke Hughes not filling the stat sheet on the offensive end, he has vastly improved his play in the defensive zone under the tutelage of veteran defenseman Brett Pesce. The Devils signed Pesce in the offseason to a six-year deal to provide leadership for a young defensive group.

Pesce made a great defensive play on Horvat early in OT to prevent an Islanders scoring chance

The Islanders have won more than 50 percent of faceoffs in 14 straight games. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Brock Nelson and Bo Horvat all have a winning percentage above 50 percent this season.

Devils host San Jose on Sunday, while Islanders visit Edmonton to open a five-game trip.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

New York Islanders right wing Simon Holmstrom (10) scores a goal during the first period in an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

New York Islanders defenseman Grant Hutton (34) fights for the puck during the first period in an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

New York Islanders center Brock Nelson (29) shoots during the first period in an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) watches the puck fly over the goal during the first period in an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

New York Islanders center Brock Nelson (29) shoots during the second period in an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

New York Islanders right wing Simon Holmstrom (10) during the second period in an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (11) fist-bumps teammates after scoring during the second period in an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce (22) stretches for the puck during the second period in an NHL hockey against the New York Islanders, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge recused himself Tuesday from presiding over Arizona's fake electors case after an email surfaced in which he told fellow judges to speak out against attacks on Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for the presidency.

In the Aug. 29 email, Maricopa County Judge Bruce Cohen lamented that he didn’t speak out when Harris was called a “DEI hire,” believes that white men must speak out against unfair treatment of women, and raised a historical lesson from the Holocaust about the need to speak up when people are attacked. Cohen didn’t specify who made the comment regarding Harris.

“We cannot allow our colleagues who identify as being a ‘person of color’ to stand alone when there are those (who) may claim that their ascension was an ‘equity hire’ rather than based solely upon exceptionalism,” the judge told his colleagues in the email. Cohen later wrote another email telling his fellow judges that he let his passion cloud his views and apologized to anyone affected by his lapse in judgment.

Lawyers for Republican state Sen. Jake Hoffman, who faces nine felony charges in the case, sought the judge’s removal, arguing Cohen “bears a deep-seated personal political bias that overcame his professional judgment” and that their client has lost confidence in the judge’s impartiality.

Hoffman is one of 11 Republicans who submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that then-President Donald Trump won Arizona in the 2020 election. They include the former state party chair, a 2022 U.S. Senate candidate and two sitting state lawmakers. Two former Trump aides and five lawyers connected to Trump, including Rudy Giuliani, also were charged in the case. All 18 people were charged with charged with forgery, fraud and conspiracy.

In a court record, Cohen said the original email was a stand for decency and didn’t reflect a personal bias, but he recognized that others may view it differently than he intended. Cohen, who was appointed to the bench by Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano in 2005, was scheduled to retire in January. Most of the defendants had asked Cohen to throw out the charges under an Arizona law that bars using baseless legal actions in a bid to silence critics. The law had long offered protections in civil cases but was amended in 2022 by the Republican-led Legislature to cover people facing most criminal charges. Cohen recused himself before deciding whether to dismiss the case, which will be assigned to another judge.

The defendants argued that Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes tried to use the charges to silence them for their constitutionally protected speech about the 2020 election and actions taken in response to the race’s outcome. They say Mayes campaigned on investigating the fake elector case and had shown a bias against Trump and his supporters.

Prosecutors said the defendants didn’t have evidence to back up their retaliation claim and that they had crossed the line from protected speech to fraud. Mayes’ office also has said the grand jury that brought the indictment wanted to consider charging Trump, but prosecutors urged them not to. Two defendants have already resolved their cases.

Former Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis, who worked closely with Giuliani, signed a cooperation agreement with prosecutors that led to the dismissal of her charges. Republican activist Loraine Pellegrino also became the first person to be convicted in the Arizona case when she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to probation.

The remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Trump wasn’t charged in Arizona, but the indictment refers to him as an unindicted coconspirator.

FILE - Arizona Rep. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, left, and his attorney Timothy La Sota appear virtually for Hoffman's arraignment in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, June 6, 2024. (Mark Henle/The Arizona Republic via AP, Pool, File)