Islanders Room: “Sorry Brent!” Jokes Roy as Nelson, Barzal Pass by Brent Sutter

ELMONT, NY — The New York Islanders (18-20-7) snapped their two-game skid with a 4-1 win over the lowly San Jose Sharks (14-28-6) on Saturday night. The induction of Brent Sutter into the Islanders’ Hall of Fame preceded the night, but the story became what happened after.

During the ceremony, Sutter gave the team a simple message during his speech. “Enjoy every second of it (being an Islander).”

Hearing that call, Brock Nelson scored the 288th goal in his career midway through the second period. The goal moved him into sole possession of the fifth-most goals in franchise history. Fittingly, he passed Sutter and Pat LaFontaine to do so.

Later in the same period, Mathew Barzal sent a pass to Noah Dobson. Dobson’s point shot hit a San Jose defender and redirected past Sharks goaltender Alexander Georgiev. That gave Barzal career assist number 324, passing Sutter for the ninth-most in franchise history.

“Sorry Brent!”

Postgame, Islanders Head Coach Patrick Roy found himself in a jovial mood following the victory. When asked about Nelson passing Sutter’s goal mark, Roy said, “It’s a very special night for Brent, but at the end, a lot of our guys had passed him. Brock passed him in goals and Barzy passed him in assists. So, Sorry Brent!”

Nelson discussed his milestone as he passed Sutter, saying “It’s funny how it worked out like that tonight. Yeah, It’s awesome for him to be inducted and well-deserved.

“Then, Barzy passed him for assists. It’s funny how this works out. It’s kind of crazy, to be honest, but it’s special to be a part of, and we’re happy we got the win. We gave (them) something that they can enjoy with all the old guys back.”

Barzal also discussed the impact of Sutter’s night, saying, “It was special. Just being in the same room as all those Islanders. I think just the way that Brent was talking about how much pride he had wearing the Islander jersey.”