Pulock's goal Thursday night has him moving up the franchise rankings.
Pulock's goal Thursday night has him moving up the franchise rankings.
New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock achieved a new milestone during Thursday night's 6-2 beatdown of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Pulock scored the Islanders' fourth goal of the night, extending their lead to 4-2, which turned the momentum in New York's favor.
It was a signature Pulock blast from the point on the power play:
That goal was also the 46th of Pulock's career, which now ties him for fifth all-time for goals by an Islanders defenseman.
The late Jean Potvin was previously in fifth place but now shares that spot with Pulock. He also surpassed his former teammate Nick Leddy, who sits on the list with 45.
Noah Dobson is quickly approaching this list, as he has 37 goals over his career in just 289 games. Dobson scored the game's opening goal against Tampa Bay.
As for Pulock, it has taken him 455 games to reach this milestone. He has missed a solid chunk of time throughout his career due to various injuries, which have impeded his ability to climb the rankings faster.
Pulock had been out due to a lower-body injury since Dec. 7 against Columbus before returning against Toronto on Feb. 5.
Thursday was his first home game since the 7-3 win over the Blue Jackets, so he wanted to get in on the scoring fun in front of a sold-out crowd.
Islanders legend and Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Potvin holds the record for goals by an Islanders defenseman with 310. Potvin's record looks like it will stand the test of time, but Pulock is beginning to creep up the list.