Stefen Rosner on Morning Cuppa Hockey Talking Islanders The New York Islanders' victory over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday was historic for forward Brock Nelson. He tallied a goal and two assists to etch himself into the franchise's top 10 leaders in points, sitting with 544 points (283 goals and 261 assists), which ties him with John Tonelli for ninth-most all-time in the club's history. Nelson's strong night began just short of the final minute of the first period. Coming up with a Blues turnover, Nelson crossed the blue line before dropping the puck to Kyle Palmieri in the high slot. After streaking between the circles, No. 21 wired the puck past Jordan Binnington to break the ice: Nelson surpassed center and Islanders Hall of Famer Bob Bourne with his 543rd point, which came on a power-play goal late in the second period. The Islanders had crisp puck movement on the man advantage, with Simon Holmstrom finding Maxim Tsyplakov below the goal line. After Tsyplakov found some space, he found Nelson on his knees in front of the net, making no mistake on the shot to give New York a 2-0 lead: This goal stood as the game-winner. Nelson's second assist and final point of the night came on an empty-net goal, coming up with a steal to send Palmieri to the vacant cage. "I didn't know that," Nelson said postgame about his point achievement. "I'm very fortunate to have been here a long time and be in a good spot to play with a lot of great players. This means a lot to me. And the fan base has embraced me, and I'm happy to be a part of it." No. 29's next point will put him all alone for ninth, with Pat LaFontaine's 566 career points the next mark, one that Nelson should reach come season's end. "I mean, Tsyplakov made a great play, a great pass to Nelly. Nice shot," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. "He's ninth in the scoring for the Islanders. So, it's good for him, and I'm sure he wants to go up in the goal-scoring category." Although seventh-place Josh Bailey and his 580 points will be harder to reach, a 36-point deficit is surmountable if he wants to catch his longtime teammate this season. On the team's goals list, Nelson is on the doorstep of moving into the top five in franchise history. He is four goals away from tying LaFontaine and future Islanders Hall of Famer Brent Sutter for fifth all-time with 287. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEwOTI4OTA0NjA3NjM5Mzc3/usatsi_24838191.jpg] The next players up are fourth-place Clark Gillies and third-place Denis Potvin, owning 304 and 310, respectively. As of Sunday, Nelson has eight goals and five assists for 13 points in 21 games, playing dynamic hockey alongside Palmieri and Tsyplakov. Across an 82-game pace, he's projected to reach 31 goals and 19 assists for 50 points. Albeit the assists will likely increase, that will put him at 306 goals and 280 assists for 586 points, putting him between Potvin and Gillies in goals and just ahead of Bailey in total points. Although Nelson may not have the overall legacy that those before him boast, seeing the Stanley Cup rings and individual accolades, he developed into one of the top Islanders of his era, and the stats can back it up. Nelson's future is up in the air, as his contract is due to expire this offseason, but he has certainly led a strong career on Long Island over his 12 seasons.
