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New York Islanders

Islanders Hang On, Beat Jets 3-2; Nelson Sparkles in Potential Farewell

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Islanders Close Out 3-2 Win over Jets // Russ Macias
ELMONT, N.Y. — The New York Islanders (28-27-7) defeated the Winnipeg Jets (42-16-4) 3-2 on Tuesday night in UBS Arena. It couldn’t have been more poetic if it is indeed the send-off game for Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri.
The game began with an Islanders power play goal: Palmieri from Nelson. Perfect passing from the duo who have shown great chemistry together in recent seasons. Then, 93 seconds into the second, Nelson scored his 20th of the season. 
After Nelson’s goal, Winnipeg pushed and got on the board courtesy of a Josh Morrissey slapper that deflected off of Simon Holmstrom’s skate and in. After surviving a push, the Islanders scored a quick third-period dagger off the stick of Ryan Pulock. His blast went off of Rasmus Kupari’s skate and in.
It looked good for the Islanders, all until Jean-Gabriel Pageau took a tripping penalty with under nine minutes to go. Nikolaj Ehlers scored with a slick move in tight on that man advantage. From there, Winnipeg pushed and pushed. The Islanders grew fatigued from playing on back-to-back nights.
Despite the push and the fatigue, Ilya Sorokin remained dialed in and hung on for the win. He made 26 saves in the win. For Winnipeg, Connor Hellebuyck denied 27 in defeat.

First Period:

The Islanders started off a bit slow. Winnipeg seized an early man advantage when Ryan Pulock took a holding penalty after Adam Lowry’s line trapped Pulock and Scott Mayfield deep.

On that power play, it became evident why Winnipeg is where they are in the standings. They whizzed the puck all around, generating great chances. The best came off the stick of Josh Morrissey, whose one-timer Ilya Sorokin got with a punch of his blocker as he slid the other way.

The shot counter read 10-3 Winnipeg through 11:28 of the first period. The Islanders then outshot Winnipeg 15-0 to end the period. Part of what urged the Islanders on came when their captain, Anders Lee, dropped the gloves with the Jets’ captain Lowry. On the very next play, Jean-Gabriel Pageau twirled and spun and forced former Islander Nino Neiderreiter into taking a tripping penalty.

Head Coach Patrick Roy then finally stacked the top unit with his best possible set-up—Noah Dobson, Bo Horvat, Nelson, Palmieri, Simon Holmstrom—and the result was some crisp passing. Nelson set up Palmieri with a perfect cross-ice pass, which was likely the best power-play goal of the season. 
Anthony DeAngelo, who quarterbacked the main unit for his first 13 games here, generated 0 power-play goals at any point while he was on the ice. They had entered tonight 2 for their last 30.
After the goal, the Islanders continued to surge. Anthony Duclair had a great wrister gloved by Hellebuyck. In short, the last half of the first period might’ve been some of the best hockey these Islanders are capable of– even if it’s too little, too late.

Second Period:

The Islanders initially picked up right where they left off in the second frame. In fact, just 93 seconds into the game, Nelson scored his 20th of the season. What’s more, the goal comes in his 901st with the franchise, passing Bobby Nystrom for the fourth-most in franchise history (Bailey, Potvin, Trottier). Brock Nelson now has nine 20-goal seasons, making him just the seventh player in franchise history to have nine or more 20-goal seasons (Trottier, B. Sutter, Bossy, Tavares, Potvin, Lee). 
The goal itself started when Dobson made his best pass of the season. A perfect stretch pass from the d-zone to Nelson in stride as he hit the Winnipeg blue. Once there, Nelson and Maxim Tsyplakov had a great exchange, with Nelson slamming it home.
From there, Winnipeg asserted itself far more. Lee took a high-sticking penalty. Morrissey cashed in that mad advantage for Winnipeg with a one-timer that deflected off Holmstrom’s skate and in. Once again, a bad bounce went against the Islanders. The goal fueled the Jets to more.
Nikolaj Ehlers surged hard toward the net and got a one-timer in tight, but Sorokin kept it out. Morrissey and Kyle Connor kept pushing for an equalizer that just would not drop in for Winnipeg in the second period. By the end of the period, the Jets funneled 13 shots into Sorokin, with only one going in. The Islanders finished the frame with just seven.

Third Period:

The Islanders received much-needed insurance through Pulock’s blast, which nicked off Rasmus Kupari and in.

From that moment on, it became Winnipeg’s push. Boy, did they ever push. Winnipeg went real hard, generating chances galore. Eventually, they scored a power-play goal courtesy of a nifty Ehlers move.

With all the emotions swirling around the Islanders and uncertainty, it would’ve been really easy to fold in and let the Jets steal the game. Instead, the Islanders stood up tall. They straightened their spine, and they denied the Winnipeg Jets, the best team in hockey, an equalizer.

After the game, Nelson found himself emotional. More to come on that.

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