Islanders News: First win of the season led by the stars
The aftermath of the beauty he opened his goal-scoring with. | Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images
The Islanders are 1-1-1 thanks to Sorokin and birthday boy Nelson, among others. Happy to be wrong: The New York Islanders will not have to play their next home game looking for their first win because they achieved it on the road against the Colorado Avalanche last night. And they didn’t steal it; they earned it.
The Islanders didn't necessarily dominate, but they controlled the first two periods, even after giving up the first goal a minute in, and got out of the third-period push you knew was coming from the Avalanche. Although Semyon Varlamov started the first two games and was visiting his former team, Ilya Sorokin made his season debut and was excellent, especially in that third period. It certainly helped that his counterpart has not given up fewer than four goals in each of this season’s starts. But if you’re like me, positive but prepared for the worst, you saw Alexandar Georgiev’s stat line entering the game and envisioned the media saying “And a nice bounce-back performance for Georgiev tonight against the Islanders.”
Nope, the Islanders took advantage. Brock Nelson got his first two, including the eventual game-winner and a shorthanded goal. Anders Lee, Kyle Palmieri, and Anthony Duclair (set up beautifully by Alex Romanov of all guys) beat the struggling Avs goalie, and Mathew Barzal added an empty-netter to seal the deal—hey, we don’t have to wait until February again for the Islanders to do that. Great to see all these goal-scoring forwards get on the board and for the Duke to score again.
Islanders News
About last night:
Certainly the Isles’ most complete performance thus far. [LHH]
Nelson turns 33 today, and he celebrated in style last night; his first goal of the season, the even-strength game-winner, was gorgeous:
Brock Nelson with some sick mitts in Brocktober! #Isles | @brendanmburke | @91Butch pic.twitter.com/oBF5vdNjSc— Isles on MSGSN (@IslesMSGN) October 15, 2024
Patrick Roy got an acknowledgment but not a tribute video in his first game in Colorado since leaving as coach. But he’s happier with the win. [Newsday] Roy did take a moment before morning skate to take it all in, though. [NY Post]
Sorokin was stellar, making a few game-saving stops and holding the Avalanche off in the third period. [Islanders | NY Post | THN]
Encouraging, as well, that they got to 1-1-1 despite the early goal against. [THN]
Andrew Gross dropped a quick Island Ice about the win too. [Newsday]
It wasn’t just Georgiev who had a tough night for Colorado; Cale Makar was on the ice for four of the six goals against and turned the puck over to Nelson for his shortie. He took the blame in the post-game scrums. Sorry to the next team that plays the Avalanche! [THN]
It was the most goals the Islanders have scored in the state of Colorado since 1978 against the Colorado Rockies. [NYI Skinny]
Other stuff:
Before the game, Mike and Dan released Islanders Anxiety Episode 301, in which the guys lament the return of the bad habits on Thursday night, the shutout on Saturday night, and the dread this week brought—alleviated by last night’s win, no doubt. [LHH]
Cal Clutterbuck had been the Islanders’ locker room DJ since Andrew MacDonald got traded ten years ago—God I’m old—but with Clutterbuck no longer in the room, Duclair has become the new DJ. [THN]
The Islanders Prospect Report details Quinn Finley and Danny Nelson’s two-goal weekends. Finley smacked one out of the air to honor New York baseball.
It is also Julien Gauthier’s birthday.
Elsewhere
Yesterday’s NHL scores include the Devils shutting out Utah for their first-ever loss, the Rangers beating the Red Wings, and the Kings falling to the Senators in an overtime game from a distant past.
Guy Gaudreau, the father of the late Johnny and Matthew and a hockey coach at heart, was invited by Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason to join their practice. [NHL]
Peyton Krebs and new captain Rasmus Dahlin fought at Sabres practice. Little early for that, no? [Sportsnet]
Linus Ullmark is already dealing with an injury, a “strain.” [TSN]
The 25 people who will define the NHL season is certainly a Luke Fox Juke Box story. [Sportsnet]
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