3 Takeaways: Islanders Beat Blues 5-2 for Fifth Straight Win

The New York Islanders defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-2 at Enterprise Center on Thursday night for their fifth consecutive win. The five-game streak is their first since winning nine straight from Feb. 28-March 14, 2021.
Brock Nelson (1G, 1A), Anders Lee (1G, 1A), Josh Bailey, Kyle Palmieri and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Islanders, while Robert Thomas and Vladimir Tarasenko scored for the Blues. Noah Dobson also had a multi-point game, with two assists.

The Islanders rebounded after a slow start to the game, going down 1-0 in the first period and withstanding an early onslaught from a Blues team eager to prove themselves in the midst of a five-game losing streak. But the Islanders generated more momentum toward the end of the period, ending the frame up 13-10 in shots, and then as they came out for the second, the goals came with them.
"We talked, it wasn't our best first period," Nelson said. "We wanted to come out with a push, and we added a huge goal right away, putting one in in the first minute, and then taking advantage of the power play, which was a big opportunity which is huge... From there I thought we did a good job closing it out."

ISLANDERS EXPLODE IN SECOND PERIOD:

The Islanders struggled to generate offense early in the first period and went into the break down 1-0 after Vladimir Tarasenko opened the scoring. But just 14 seconds into the second period, they were already flipping the script.
ISLANDERS 5, BLUES 2
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Full Highlights
Postgame: Lambert
Postgame: Lee
Postgame: Nelson
Postgame: Pageau
KINGER'S CALLS
Palmieri Tips Dobson Shot
Nelson's PPG
Bailey's Second Effort
Lee Nets Sixth
Pageau's Empty-Netter
"We knew they were going to come out hard," Josh Bailey told MSG Networks during the second intermission. "They're a desperate team right now. We had to weather that in the first, but we found a way to get on the board here a few times and play the right way."
Jean-Gabriel Pageau won the faceoff to open the period and helped establish the Islanders in the offensive zone. After Jordan Binnington couldn't cover a Palmieri shot, the puck eventually worked back up to Dobson, whose shot from the point that deflected in off Palmieri's skate and in.
"I think our line, we know our role and we want to just play simple and make sure we put pucks deep and start going after their D," Pageau said. "I thought we did good, going into the second with a great mentality and it paid off."
Nelson scored on the power play at 5:06 off a cross-crease feed from Anders Lee after a strong takeaway from Dobson to give the Islanders the lead. Bailey added to that lead just under two minutes later, with a poke in from behind the net on a second effort, and Lee scored a goal of his own at 10:18 to cap off the scoring spree. Lee later fought Niko Mikkola to complete the Gordie Howe hat trick in the second period, dropping the gloves for the first time since squaring off with Tom Wilson on Aug. 12, 2020 in the playoffs.
The Islanders almost conceded a goal late in the second to old friend Nick Leddy to cut the lead to two, but Lambert issued his first successful challenge as a head coach. The goal was overturned for goalie interference from Ivan Barbashev who crashed the net and made contact with Sorokin.

DOBSON MAKING PLAYS

Dobson tallied two assists in his second multi-point game of the season and first since Oct. 18 against the San Jose Sharks. His first came on a point shot that Palmieri deflected into the net with his skate.
His second came on one of his strongest defensive plays of the season. After killing off a five-on-three, the Blues had Niko Mikkola on the rush coming out of the box and tried to hit him with a stretch pass for the wide-open breakaway. Dobson read the play and intercepted the pass, quickly finding Lee down low, who made a cross-ice pass for Nelson for the power-play goal.
"It takes a guy who's reading the play right and was able to track maybe where that had an idea of where that pass might have gone," Anders Lee said. "To knock that down and to bring it down, to me was a really heady play."
Dobson finished the game with 16:57 TOI, two assists, two shots on goal, four takeaways and one blocked shot.

Video: NYI@STL: Lee taps home Nelson's dish to extend lead

BROCK NELSON EARNS 400th CAREER POINT:

Nelson had his third multi-point outing in his last four games, with a goal and an assist. The assist on Lee's goal was Nelson's 400th career NHL point, and his team leading 13th point (5G, 8A) of the season. Nelson is on a four-game point and goal streak, and has four multi-point outings in just 13 games so far this season.
Nelson's goal was his first power-play goal of the season. Nelson led the Islanders in power-play goals last year with 11.
Anthony Beauvillier also hit a milestone in the win, notching his 100th career assist with a secondary helper on Lee's goal.

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders wrap up their three-game road trip in Detroit on Saturday afternoon. Puck drop is at 1 p.m.