The hockey cliche about Thanksgiving made the recent game feel like a must-win for the New York Islanders. In the NHL, if teams aren’t in a playoff position by the American holiday, they typically fail to make the playoffs, and if they are in a playoff position they more often than not make the playoffs. The Islanders took care of business on Nov. 22 as they hung on to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2.
Related: 6 Takeaways From Islanders’ Back-To-Back vs Canucks & Kraken
The win moves the Islanders to 7-6-5 on the season, making them a bubble team in the Eastern Conference. While the season hasn’t been great and at times has looked disastrous, the Islanders have managed to remain a competitive team this season. The recent game saw them hold on to a lead, something they’ve struggled to do, and it proved why they will compete throughout the season.
Nelson’s 2-Goal Night
The Islanders needed their top players to lead them to a victory and that’s what happened. Brock Nelson scored in the Nov. 18 5-4 win over the Calgary Flames and he picked up where he left off with his scoring instincts taking over this game.
In the second period, Nelson found the back of the net with a redirected puck, something he isn’t known for but it worked regardless. He followed that goal up with a more traditional one in the third period as he skated to the net to find a Pierre Engvall cross-ice pass and then tap it in.
The two goals give Nelson 10 goals on the season. He not only leads the team but has more goals than Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal, the Islanders’ top-line skaters, have combined all season. After two 30-goal seasons in a row, the question was if Nelson would keep it up or at 32 years old, start to drop off. Through 18 games, he’s shown no signs of slowing down and looks to once again lead the Islanders to victories as he did on Wednesday night.
Sorokin’s Bounce Back in Goal
Ilya Sorokin finished last season as a Vezina Trophy finalist but has struggled to start this season. His .906 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.32 goals-against average (GAA) on 394 shots with only 1.6 goals saved above average (GSAA) is underwhelming and numerous times this season, he’s allowed a surplus of goals. The last time Sorokin allowed two goals or fewer was the Oct. 26 game against the Ottawa Senators and he entered the game against the Flyers due for a lights-out performance.
The Islanders’ defense didn’t give him any breaks, allowing the Flyers to fire shots on the net throughout the game. Yet, he was sharp and stopped everything early on, saving all eight first period shots. When the Islanders took the lead and they looked to lock down the victory, the Flyers started to play with a sense of urgency and found the back of the net twice against Sorokin. Other than that, he was flawless in the net.
When the final horn sounded, Sorokin had 34 saves to will the Islanders to a 3-2 victory. This season has been a rough one for the elite goaltender but against the Flyers, he reminded everyone what he is capable of doing. He was dominant in the net and one of the primary reasons the Islanders won and if this team makes a push for the playoffs, he’ll be front and center in that surge to the top of the standings.
Pelech Helps Offense From the Point
The Islanders have seen a split when it comes to production from the point this season. There’s Noah Dobson and everyone else. Through 18 games, Dobson has five goals and 10 assists while the rest of the defensive unit has combined for two goals and 12 assists. The bottom line is that aside from him, the Islanders are getting little to no production from their defense on the offensive end of the ice.
Adam Pelech looked to change that against the Flyers and he did so simply by putting the puck on the net. Nelson’s first goal was a great tip-in by the talented forward but the goal was created with Pelech flipping the puck on the net from the point. His shot zipped through traffic and made its way to Nelson. In the third period, his pass to Engvall helped set up the Islanders’ third goal which was ultimately the game-winner.
Pelech has been a non-factor this season offensively, scoring zero goals and three assists. However, the recent game was a reminder that good things happen when the puck is put on the net. Dobson has learned this already and it’s resulting in a great season for the young defenseman and now, the rest of the defensemen have to follow suit.
Other Takeaways From the Islanders Win
- Cal Clutterbuck played in his 1,000th career game and he nearly capped off the night in style. With the Flyers’ net empty, he had the puck at the blue line, and with an eager urge to put the game away, he missed the net.
- Anders Lee scored in the first period with a play near the net where he applied enough pressure to push the puck into the net. Lee’s office is the crease and the captain must continue to find opportunities in his spot to help the offense out.
What’s Next for the Islanders
The Islanders head on the road to face the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 24 and then they’ll head back home to host the Flyers. They defeated the Senators earlier in the season but they were a different team back then and with three wins in a row, they’ll be a tough test.
The Islanders have started to regain their footing with two wins in a row. They head into Thanksgiving on a high note and in the middle of the Metropolitan Division standings. The Islanders have a lot of divisional matchups ahead of them and it’s a prime opportunity for them to string together a bunch of wins to continue to climb the standings.
