Matthew Schaefer and Luke Hughes go at it in heated but unorthodox fight

The Metropolitan Division rivalry got physical at UBS Arena on Saturday night, and two young defensemen found themselves in the middle of it.

Matthew Schaefer and Luke Hughes were seen swinging at each other with their gloves still on, a scene that gave the Devils' 5-4 overtime win an edge well beyond the standings.

The penalty sheet from a late second-period scrum shows Schaefer and teammate Logan Stanley assessed roughing penalties at 19:27, while Brett Pesce took a roughing call for New Jersey.

Stanley also picked up a slashing minor.

Schaefer had already scored a wrist shot late in the first period to give New York a 2-1 lead.

The Islanders went to the third period up 4-2 despite being outshot 32-14 through two, but the Devils turned that pressure into results.

Luke Evangelista cut the lead at 6:08 of the third.

Dougie Hamilton then tied it on the power play at 13:41, after Adam Pelech's high-sticking penalty briefly gave the Devils a two-man advantage.

Jack Hughes ended it in overtime on a breakaway, New Jersey's fourth straight win.

Jake Allen stopped 19 of 23 shots, while Ilya Sorokin made 45 saves on 50 for New York.

For Schaefer, the night adds to a pattern.

Opponents have gone after the Islanders' Calder Trophy winner since his rookie season, and his teammates have stepped in before, most memorably during last November's line brawl against Boston.

How often he answers himself is worth watching, because New York needs him on the ice rather than in the box in games this tight.

For the Hughes brothers, it was a night to remember: Jack the hero in overtime, Luke in the middle of the chaos.

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