Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer gets into wild fight with Luke Hughes during loss to Devils

Matthew Schaefer and Luke Hughes exchanged punches during a team-wide fight in the Islanders’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Devils on Saturday. The clash drew a roaring crowd at UBS Arena and stood out in a game decided by Hughes’s involvement in the winning play.

The fight began late in the second period after Islanders defenceman Logan Stanley and Devils player Brett Pesce tangled. Schaefer knocked Hughes down, but Hughes continued throwing punches before teammates and referees intervened; the brawl resulted in one penalty for Stanley. In overtime, Hughes stole the puck from Schaefer and passed to his brother Jack for the winner, leaving the Islanders with a 7-6-3 record and fifth place in the Metropolitan Division with 17 points.