Islanders' win over NHL-leading Vegas gives GM Lou Lamoriello even more reason to believe
LAS VEGAS — The Islanders emphatically backed up their boss.
Hours after president/general manager Lou Lamoriello again expressed full confidence in his team and a belief that the Islanders can contend for a playoff spot, they produced their signature win of the season’s inconsistent first half by topping NHL-leading Vegas, 4-0, on Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena to move out of last place in the Metropolitan Division.
“It’s huge,” Brock Nelson said after snapping a 17-game goal drought. “We mean it when we say we have the confidence in the group to go out there and win on any given night. You’d like to do it more than we have to this point halfway. Definitely a statement win for us, given the spot we’re in.”
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The Islanders (16-18-7) reached the midpoint of the season by winning their second straight, only the third time they’ve done so, and remained five points out of the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card spot.
“I can’t dispute your doubt,” Lamoriello said before the game when questioned about his faith in the team. “But I know the players. I know what they’re capable of doing. In my opinion, we have the talent in there to do that. It’s up to them. We have to get it done.”
Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves for his second shutout this season as he started for the 16th time in 17 games. Adin Hill stopped 17 shots for Vegas (28-10-3), which had won 13 of its last 15 and 17 of its first 21 home games.
“All you can do is look at where you’re at and think about who you are and what you believe you’re capable of doing,” Lamoriello said. “[The playoffs] is not something that’s out of reach.
“To say that we feel good at where we stand right now, I don’t think we do. Where we find ourselves now is as healthy as we’ve been to this point. It’s all in our hands. I feel good about this team. I feel good about this coaching staff. I’ll take full responsibility for both groups in where we stand.”
The Islanders’ inconsistent first half of the season has brought plenty of speculation as to when — not if — Lamoriello will deal top-six forwards Nelson and Kyle Palmieri, both of whom are pending unrestricted free agents, before the March 7 trade deadline.
Except Lamoriello does not view it the same way.
“It’s not even a thought in my mind right now,” said Lamoriello, pressed on the risk of getting nothing in return a la John Tavares if either leaves via free agency. “Where we are in the season and where we are in the standings where everything is in reach, that’s the focus. The focus is on who we are here right now and not hypothetically, if this, if that. I’m just not from that school.”
Nelson intercepted an errant clearing attempt and fed an open Anders Lee in the slot for a 1-0 lead at 17:04 of the first period. Islanders coach Patrick Roy had successfully challenged that Tomas Hertl was offside before scoring an apparent power-play goal at 13:50.
That was Nelson’s first point in five games. He then took Mathew Barzal’s saucer-pass feed to make it 2-0 at 5:30 of the second period. Palmieri found Bo Horvat cutting to the crease for a 3-0 lead at 10:41 and Casey Cizikas clinched it with an empty-netter at 17:26 of the third period.
“All you want as a coach is to see some consistency, and it’s exactly what we had tonight,” Roy said. “It was a great team effort.”
Notes & quotes: Defenseman Alexander Romanov had two assists in a very physical effort . . . Lamoriello said goalie Semyon Varlamov (lower body/ long-term injured reserve) has resumed facing shots and is projected to resume practicing with the Islanders when they return to Long Island after Saturday night’s game in Utah. Varlamov last played on Nov. 29 . . . Lamoriello said rookie defenseman Isaiah George (suspected concussion) and forward Simon Holmstrom (upper body/injured reserve) also are expected to resume practicing next week and that Hudson Fasching (upper body) will need two weeks before rejoining his teammates . . . Lee, 34, played in his 800th game. “It means a lot,” he said. “It’s just crazy that I’ve already come to that number. I feel very fortunate and grateful to be able to play that long. It kind of sneaks up on you a little bit sometimes.”