Stefen Rosner on Morning Cuppa Hockey Talking Islanders After losing their first two games of the 2024-25 NHL season, the New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] got in the win column after defeating the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 on Monday night. Brock Nelson [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/brock-nelson-new-york-islanders-colorado-avalanche-two-goals] led the way with two goals, while Ilya Sorokin [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/ilya-sorokin-new-york-islanders-colorado-avalanche-patrick-roy-semyon-varlamov] was brilliant, making 32 saves on 34 shots in his return to the crease. Here's how it happened: The Islanders, who have had defensive miscues through the first two games of the season, did so again, allowing Avalanche rookie Calum Ritchie to score from the low-slot, unguarded, just 1:01 in the game. Mike Reilly and Scott Mayfield took the same player, with Oliver Wahlstrom realizing too late that Ritchie was left all alone at the blocker side post: But, like the Islanders did against the Dallas Stars on Saturday night, after allowing the first goal, they rebounded, scoring the next two. At 5:33 of the first, Anders Lee buried his own rebound, sliding the puck past Georgiev at the glove-side post for his first of the season to tie the game at 1-1: Simon Holmstrom and Scott Mayfield earned assists. Then, on a tremendous all-around play, Kyle Palmieri picked off a dump-in play by the Avalanche before getting on his high horse. On the breakaway, Palmieri pushed the puck a little too far ahead of him, so Georgiev thought a diving poke-check would do the trick. Narrator voice: "It did not." At 8:25 of the second, Nelson cut to the slot before breaking the ankles of Avalanche goaltender Alexander Georgiev to give the Islanders a 3-1 lead: Just 2:49 later, at 11:14 of the second, Nelson found himself on the penalty kill, where he picked off a Cale Makar pass at the Avalanche blue line before beating Georgiev blocker side on the breakaway: Through three games, Nelson has scored two goals with an assist. After outshooting the Avalanche 17-12 in the first period, the Islanders held them to just five shots in the second, collecting 11 of their own. The Islanders still had 34 seconds remaining on the Maxim Tsyplakov penalty from the final two minutes of the second. While they officially killed off the penalty, Casey Middelstadt buried a one-timer seconds later to make it a 4-2 game just 39 seconds into the third: Anthony Duclair answered the Avalanche power-play goal at 6:48 of the third to give the Islanders a 5-2 lead. After Alexander Romanov showed off some patience inside the left dot, Duclair came around the net and made himself an option before wrapping the puck around Georgiev for his second of the season: Horvat earned the secondary assist. Mathew Barzal scored his first of the season via an empty-net goal at 18:48 of the third. The Islanders played their best game of the season and got rewarded for it. UP NEXT: The Islanders head to St. Louis to battle the Blues on Thursday night with puck drop at 8 PM ET. TOP STORIES
