Islanders score big win over high-flying Jets
The Islanders celebrate after defeating the Winnipeg Jets at UBS Arena on Tuesday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
It certainly felt like a fond farewell.
Pending unrestricted free agents Brock Nelson — No. 1 on many trade target projection boards — and Kyle Palmieri both scored and were the first and second stars, respectively, in a 3-2 win over the NHL-leading Jets on Tuesday night at UBS Arena in what may have been their final games with the Islanders.
That will be known for sure by Friday’s NHL trade deadline. Nelson, for one, displayed some emotion during a postgame interview with MSG Network’s Shannon Hogan while sitting on the Islanders’ bench.
“Little bit, when she asks like that, for sure,” said Nelson, who played his 901st game and moved past Bob Nystrom into fourth place on the Islanders’ all-time list. “There’s a lot going on for sure. I’ve said it and I mean it, I’m just trying to worry about playing hockey even though there’s more that goes into it in terms of a lot of things and emotions are part of it.”
Nelson, Palmieri and coach Patrick Roy all said they were unsure of what president/general manager Lou Lamoriello would do.
Then again, nobody around the NHL really seems sure what the uber-secretive Lamoriello will do with his team now sitting three points behind the Rangers for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. The Rangers just beat the Islanders (28-26-7) twice within seven days, including Monday night’s 4-0 win at Madison Square Garden.
Lamoriello does not believe in giving up on any season. But he also understands it would be detrimental to lose valuable assets such as Nelson and Palmieri via free agency with no return.
Nelson has engaged in contract extension talks but there’s no indication a deal would be reached by Friday.
“I’ve had conversations with Lou and I’ve been honest,” said Nelson, completing a six-year, $36 million deal. “[Tonight] was still just a game. I truly mean that.”
Palmieri, of Smithtown, is in the final season of a four-year, $20 million deal. The 34-year-old became a 20-goal scorer for the seventh time in his 15 NHL seasons while Nelson, 33, reached that milestone for the fourth straight season and for the ninth time in 12 NHL seasons.
“It’s out of my control,” Palmieri said. “I’ve been around long enough to be traded, friends get traded. It’s not something you can focus on. Until someone says otherwise, I love fighting for a playoff spot with this group.
“With where we’re at, the way this season has gone, decisions have to be made and those decisions are way above my pay grade.”
Lamoriello opted to not sit any potential trade target to protect against potential injury before the deadline.
“I have no idea what’s going to happen,” Roy said. “There’s days you want to buy. There’s days you want to sell. It’s up to Lou to decide whatever he is going to feel is the right decision for this franchise.”
Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves as he played both ends of the back-to-back and started for the 31st time in 37 games. Connor Hellebuyck, expected to win a second straight Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie and a third overall, stopped 26 shots for the Jets (42-16-4), in a 0-2-1 skid.
The Jets, with the NHL’s top-ranked power play, scored both of their goals on the man advantage, with Nikolaj Ehlers bringing them within 3-2 at 12:51 of the third period.
The Islanders took the final 14 shots of the first period over its last 8:32 and made it 1-0 on Palmieri’s power-play one-timer from low in the left circle off Nelson’s cross-ice feed at 16:49. Nelson pushed the Islanders’ lead to 2-0 at 1:33 of the second period as he got the puck back from Maxim Tsyplakov for an easy tap-in at the crease. Defenseman Ryan Pulock made it 3-1 with a shot from the right point off the skate of the Jets’ Rasmus Kupari at 4:03 of the third period.
Notes & quotes: Defenseman Alexander Romanov blocked a game-high seven shots . . . Struggling top-liner Anthony Duclair logged 14:45 with one shot after being a healthy scratch against the Rangers . . . Roy reverted to dressing the usual 12 forwards and six defensemen. Defenseman Adam Boqvist came out of the lineup as a healthy scratch.
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.
