Brock Nelson scored the shootout winner as the New York Islanders beat the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Thursday night at BB&T Center, moving the Isles within one point of securing home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Nelson slipped a backhander five-hole on Sam Montembeault in the fourth round of the shootout on Thursday, the lone goal for either side in the bonus round. Nelson also scored the Islanders lone goal in regulation, while Jonathan Huberdeau scored the only goal for the Panthers.
With the win, the Islanders (101 points) hit the 100-point mark for the 10th time in team history - and third in the past five seasons. The win also assures the Isles of a top-three finish in the Metropolitan Division, though the Washington Capitals (104 points) clinched the division title with a win over Montreal.
BOXSCORE | TROTZ POSTGAME
Recap: Isles Move Closer To Home Ice With Shootout Win In Florida
Brock Nelson scores shootout winner in 2-1 win; Isles can clinch home-ice advantage with one more point on Saturday