Islanders' Brock Nelson scores twice in win over Predators
Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders against the Nashville Predators at UBS Arena on Saturday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Brock Nelson simultaneously made himself even more attractive to another playoff contender as a rental and showed the Islanders exactly how much they’ll lose if they deal him away before Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
And as much as the pending unrestricted free agent is focused on helping the Islanders’ long-shot playoff push — scoring two goals, one of them shorthanded, in a 7-4 win over the Predators on Saturday afternoon at UBS Arena — he told Newsday he has thought about how many games he has left with the team.
“I’d be lying if I said no, for sure,” said Nelson, completing a six-year, $36 million deal. “But at the same time, I’m really just thinking about each game and how important it is. Everything will be all right, I know that. That’s just the business side of it that you run into at different points in your career. I don’t think it affects me.”
The Islanders (27-25-7) set a season high for goals, with Ilya Sorokin making 24 saves and being credited with an empty-net goal. It was the first goal of his career as he became the second Islanders goalie to score after Hall of Famer Billy Smith.
Nelson, who extended his point streak to five games (three goals, four assists), has 19 goals and 21 assists in 59 games and is expected to play career game No. 900 against the Rangers on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The Islanders’ last game before the trade deadline is against the visiting Jets on Tuesday night. So this could be the tensest week of Nelson’s career.
“Maybe if you make it that way,” he told Newsday. “First and foremost, I’m just trying to help the guys win here. But yeah, it’s a crazy time. People can say it’s a distraction, but part of that is on me to not allow it.”
Nelson scored twice in the second period, connecting on Simon Holmstrom’s shorthanded feed to make it 4-1 at 2:38 before taking defenseman Alexander Romanov’s cross-ice feed to the right circle for a 5-2 lead at 16:21. Holmstrom passed up a shot on a shorthanded rush in the third period to try to help Nelson to a fifth career hat trick.
Juuse Saros made 30 saves for the Predators (21-31-7), who are in a 3-9-0 tailspin. They played without top defenseman Roman Josi (upper body) and with Gustav Nyquist withheld from the lineup as his trade to the Wild became official in the third period.
Not surprisingly, the Islanders outshot them 19-3 in the first period to take a 3-0 lead.
“I think from the start we saw that we were right into the game,” said Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who opened the scoring at 2:37 of the first period off Casey Cizikas’ feed from behind the crease. “From the start to the finish, from Sorokin on out, I thought it was awesome.”
Kyle Palmieri made it 2-0 on the power play at 12:27 of the first period as the Islanders scored both shorthanded and on the man advantage for the second time this season, the last time coming in the season opener.
Notes & quotes: Top-line right wing Anthony Duclair was benched for nearly 10 minutes in the third period as he logged 11:44 with four shots and a minus-1. “I’m just not happy with his play,” coach Patrick Roy said. “I expect more from him. Offensively and defensively.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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