Nelson gives Isles Wild overtime win
ST. PAUL, Minn. — There was a lot of talk about the “hockey gods” in and around the Islanders locker room. And yes, those sporting deities work in strange ways.
In this instance, it would be that the Islanders have had to push through quite a few obstacles recently, some of their own making and some from outside sources. But it’s a lot easier to talk about karma after it goes your way, like after they took a 3-2 overtime victory against the Wild on Sunday night.
“Relief is a good word, for sure. I thought we played a great game [Saturday] and didn’t get rewarded,” said Brock Nelson, who scored the game-winner 1:04 into the three-on-three extra period just one day after his team played very well in Detroit, but lost to the Red Wings, 2-1.
“I don’t think we played at the same level, but we found a way. Timely goals, timely [penalty] kills, timely saves. It was just a good mix to get two points on the road.”
The timing also put the Islanders (42-23-7) back level in points with the idle Capitals for first place in the Metropolitan Division, a perch where not many thought they would be at this juncture. And they have kept their heads down, just like they did in this game when the Wild (34-30-9) took advantage of some awful officiating — for both teams — while getting both of their goals on the power play.
“I’m not always going to agree with the calls. They should have had a couple on us,” coach Barry Trotz said. “They are what they are. And this is actually a good test for us, because you’re not distracted by what [isn’t] in your control. The only thing we can control is when the puck’s on the ice and what we’re doing. We can’t control the referees’ call or non-call. You have to play through that.
“That’s a good thing to have, a little bit, especially if we can get to the playoffs.”
Nobody can deny the Islanders have what Trotz likes to call “backbone.” But what they do lack is offensive firepower, and they really couldn’t generate any sustained pressure on Minnesota backup goalie Alex Stalock, who faced only 20 shots compared to the 34 that his counterpart, Thomas Greiss, saw in his fourth straight start. Worse, the Islanders were out-attempted, 69-34.
But Greiss made a couple big saves, including during Minnesota’s 10:41 of manadvantage time that not only gave the Wild most of the momentum, but zapped any flow from the game.
“It’s hard to play five-on- five and get any footing when you’re just killing penalties,” said Cal Clutterbuck, who was moved up in the lineup, onto the power play and lost his helmet four different times without somehow ever earning the opposing player an elbowing penalty.
“It’s all about feels, right?” he said. “It gives them the feels, makes them feel good about where they’re at; feel like they’re in the offensive zone the whole game, we feel like we’re in the defensive zone the whole game. Half the bench feels like they haven’t played. So, yeah, it’s tough.”
The Islanders actually got one on their own power play, the first time in 12 games (0-for-25), when Anders Lee redirected his 27th goal of the season and fourth in as many games at 16:12 of the second period, giving his team a 2-1 lead. That supplemented Jordan Eberle’s first goal in 18 games that came at 9:28 of the first to open the scoring.
But the two power-play tallies for the Wild from Zach Parise and Jared Spurgeon negated all the good work, just like the goaltending of Jonathan Bernier negated the good work on Saturday.
The difference was that this time the Islanders managed to dig out a win — and whether by the grace of the hockey gods or their own internal grit, they’ll take it.