5 Takeaways: Islanders Welcome Fans Back with 5-3 Win over New Jersey

Some wins are more meaningful than others.
On Thursday night, the Islanders earned their seventh-straight win and extended their point streak to 10 games (9-0-1), as they bested the New Jersey Devils - in the first of three-straight meetings - by a score of 5-3 at Nassau Coliseum.
While the win kept the Islanders streaks alive and preserved their home success (12-0-2) - as the only team in the NHL without a loss on home ice - it was a special game for the organization and community as fans were back in the Coliseum for the first time since March 7, 2020.

The Islanders proudly hosted 1,000 Northwell Health healthcare heroes to cheer them on in the first game to feature fans this season - capped at 10% capacity.
"We've been looking forward to getting fans back in the building for a long time," Josh Bailey said. "It was a great way to honor health care workers tonight and have them be the first ones in attendance. They brought some energy for us and we fed off of it. It really was about saying thank you for all of the sacrifices that they've made along the way. It was about them. We were really happy to get the win in front of them."
The Islanders' scoring featured goals from Matt Martin, Adam Pelech, Noah Dobson, Bailey and Brock Nelson. Ilya Sorokin made 19 saves on 22 shots while New Jersey's netminder Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 29 of 34 shots.

AN ISLANDER WIN

For the majority of Thursday's game, the team executed their methodical blueprint for success. They received balanced scoring coming from up and down their lineup, contributions to the scoresheet from all six of their defenseman, strong goaltending and limited penalties taken. The two areas the Islanders could have improved was not deviating from their game plan in the third period and converting on their power play which went 0-for-5.
The Islanders primed themselves for success as they skated out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and capitalized on their chances.
ISLANDERS VS DEVILS
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Martin's Deflection
Pelech Through Traffic
Dobson's Third Tally
Bailey Buries Cizikas Feed
Nelson Taps Pulock's Setup
Isles Thank Healthcare Heroes
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KINGER'S CALLS
Martin's Opening Goal
Pelech's Pinpoint Shot
Dobson's Third Tally
Bailey's Backdoor Finish
Martin broke the ice 3:15 into the game as he scored his fifth goal of the season. With Clutterbuck screening Blackwood, Martin's long-range wrister sailed into twine.
Pelech doubled the Islanders' lead 2-0 at 9:54. Anders Lee worked below the hash marks to retrieve a puck and cycle it out to the point. Pelech collected the pass from his d-partner Ryan Pulock and slung his shot past Blackwood and Jordan Eberle's screen.
On Lee's next shift, the Islanders captain needed assistance exiting the ice and to the Islanders' dressing room after he suffered an injury in a collision with Devils' forward Pavel Zacha. The Islanders would have to play the remainder of the game down a forward as Lee did not return.
While the second period felt stagnant at times, the Islanders soundly dominated the period outshooting New Jersey 17-4. And despite the slower action, the Islanders still extended their lead to 4-0 after 40 minutes with goals from Dobson and Bailey.
"We just wanted to keep pressing," Bailey said. "You're never comfortable in game. We saw that in the third, they found a way to get a couple [goals]. You just keep pushing forward."
The Islanders third goal featured another low-to-high play where Dobson's point shot - and his third goal of the season - beat Blackwood with 5:55 left in the period. As a collision between Blackwood and Oliver Wahlstrom occurred on the play, the Devils to challenge for goaltender interference. The goal was confirmed as Sami Vatanen pushed Wahlstrom into Blackwood and the Islanders earned their second power play of the night.
While the Islanders didn't convert on the man advantage, they capitalized shortly after on a tremendous forechecking effort by Martin. Martin laid a hit on Damon Severson along the left boards to pop out a loose puck to Casey Cizikas. Cizikas zipped the cargo across the slot for an easy finish for a flanking Bailey down the right side with 2:47 left before the second intermission.
Following the sleepy second period, the third period offered a jolt of energy. Over the span of 4:44, three goals were exchanged by teams. New Jersey struck first with back-to-back goals in 40 seconds from Janne Kuokkanen and Mikhail Maltsev to rob Sorokin of the shutout. But following a Barry Trotz timeout, the Islanders answered the scoring with a goal from Nelson.
The Islanders deviated from their disciplined game allowing the Devils to capitalize early in the period and again in the final few minutes of regulation. Kuokkanen kicked off the three-goal spurt between teams and the three-goal period for the Devils, as he popped a shot over Sorokin to get New Jersey on the board 3:23 into the period.
Forty seconds later, Maltsev cut the Islanders' lead down two goals to 4-2 as the winger lobbed a backhander past Sorokin and a screen from teammate Nathan Bastian.
The Islanders ushered a quick response following Trotz's timeout and Nelson restored the Islanders' three-goal lead to 5-2. Pulock picked up his second assist of the net as the blueliner curled down from New Jersey's blueline toward the left faceoff circle. Pulock sent a sizzling feed to the backdoor and right onto Nelson's stick.

"We tried to look for an easy game and what was successful for us for two periods was playing the right way," Trotz said. "We started being a little light on our stick and not managing the puck. All the things we do when we're successful and we were getting away from it, so I called a timeout there and said 'Listen, we've been in lots of close games, let's just play the right way and we'll get rewarded.' Good response, [Nelson] got the next goal there, but good response by the bench."
With the goal, Nelson extended his point streak (5G, 1A) to five games, where the center has scored as many goals during that span.
Even down by three goals late in the third, the Devils' didn't ease up. Jack Hughes scored the third goal of the period for New Jersey with just over five minutes left in the game. The Devils forward beat Sorokin from the high slot at 15:52.
While the third period wasn't the Islanders' cleanest effort, the team is looking forward to the challenge of playing the Devils against on Saturday and Sunday.
"We did a lot of good things off the start," Pulock said. "It got away from us a little bit in the third where we weren't as sharp, but there's things that we can clean up every game no matter the outcome. They'll be looking at film and we'll be doing the same. We'll go back to battling."

THE HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED RETURN OF FANS

Tweet from @NYIslanders: A win for all of you. 💙🧡 pic.twitter.com/sUU0Xixg0s
For the first time in 369 days, the familiar faces of real life fans - and not just the sea of cardboard cutouts - occupied the stands of the Coliseum to cheer the Islanders. While only a fraction of the Coliseum's capacity was in attendance, the mighty support of the blue and orange enthusiastically cheered on the team with cries of, "Let's Go Islanders" and chants of "Yes! Yes! Yes!" after each of the Islanders' five goals.
The Islanders proudly welcomed 1,000 frontline Northwell Health workers and their families to the first game as a token to express their gratitude for their unwavering efforts throughout all of the obstacles this past year .
The live crowd not only provided some normalcy for the Islanders, but the enthusiastic fans generated an energetic buzz that radiated onto the ice. The fans even offered support during a grim point in the first period, when Lee went down following a collision and was helped off the ice. The captain, while wincing in pain, extended his stick up in the air to thank the fans.
In all following the hard-fought win, and especially with New Jersey's third-period push, the Islanders took to center ice postgame to stick tap and thank the overwhelming support from their supporters.
"The people that were in the stands tonight made it extra special," Martin said. "Just all of the work and sacrifices that they've made over the last year. I can't imagine all of the sleepless nights that they went through. We're grateful for them and very happy that they were be able to be the first to be in the stands and watch Islander hockey."

STURDY WIN FOR SOROKIN

The win was backstopped by another strong effort from the Islanders' rookie goaltender, who improved his record to 5-2-1. While the bulk of the action Sorokin saw was in the third period, where the Devils reached double digit shots - at 10 - for the first time in the game after only firing off 12 shots between the first two periods, it was a solid win for the goaltender.
"When you don't see a lot [of shots], every goaltender will tell you it's a tough game to play," Trotz said of Sorokin. "You tend to watch the game more than play the game and that's a tough one cause only had 10 shots after two periods if I'm not mistaken, it wasn't a lot and they were fairly perimeter for the most part. Those are the tough games, every goalie will tell you that, but Ilya is fine, he made a couple of timely saves when it was 2-0, he made a couple of good saves. I'm not worried about him, he's such a good young pro."

DAL COLLE DRAWS BACK IN THE LINEUP

Michael Dal Colle drew back in the lineup for the first time since March 7. The 24-year-old winger slotted in his usual place alongside Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Oliver Wahlstrom and with Lee out of the lineup, saw some shift with Mathew Barzal and Eberle and Nelson and Bailey.
Dal Colle's presence was evident against the Devils and throughout the 14:51 of time he played. He utilized his 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame to provide physicality and an extra jump in offense.

LEE UPDATE

Video: NYI 5 vs NJD 3: Barry Trotz
The Islanders captain suffered an injury with just over seven minutes remaining in the first period and did not return. Lee suffered the injury in the Islanders' zone as he collided with Pavel Zacha and was subsequently helped off the ice by trainers.
Trotz did not have an immediate update post-game, but said Lee would continue to be evaluated.
"I don't have an update," Trotz said. "He got twisted up there, but those are always waiting to see for evaluation, so he's being evaluated. We'll see where he is in the morning. Hopefully, I'll have an update for you tomorrow."
In the action prior, Lee played 3:35, assisted on Martin's goal and had one shot.

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders face the Devils on Saturday for the second of three-straight meetings and in the first leg of a back-to-back set at the Prudential Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.