New York Islanders’ Brock Nelson scored his 100th career NHL goal in a 5-2 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
After four days off, the New York Islanders returned to action on Saturday night for a rematch against the Nashville Predators who beat them 4-3 last Saturday in Brooklyn.
The result was another loss by a score of 5-2 but in the loss, Brock Nelson recorded the 100th goal of his career.
.@NYIslanders back in it! @BNelson gets his 100th career goal after a great play from the captain. Watch the game now on MSG+ & https://t.co/9032j80fse! #Isles pic.twitter.com/S7VAKcg7gQ
— MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) October 14, 2018
Nelson’s 100th NHL goal put the Islanders on the board early in the second period and cut the Predators’ lead to 3-1.
The goal came on a great feed from the newly named captain and fellow Minnesota native Anders Lee. Once Nelson received the pass, he was in alone behind the two Nashville defensemen as well able to put it past goaltender Juuse Saros.
Andrew Ladd, in his season debut, scored the Isles’ other goal off a great feed from behind the goal courtesy of Mathew Barzal.
Even though 100 goals is a very impressive milestone, Nelson wasn’t completely satisfied. “I think maybe, later on, you look back and think more positive of it,” Nelson told Andrew Gross of Newsday, “Obviously, it’s tough to lose.”
Nelson was drafted by the Islanders 30th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and scored his first NHL goal against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 22, 2013, in his fifth game in the NHL.
His goal Saturday night came 397 games later, giving Nelson 100 in his career and 190 points in 402 games.
It is fitting that both Nelson’s first NHL goal and 100th have come in October because the 26-year-old has a knack for scoring goals in the opening month of the season.
In 53 career NHL games played in the month of October, dubbed “Brocktober” by some Isles fans, Nelson has 18 goals and 39 points.
Nelson, as a restricted free agent, filed for arbitration this past summer but he was able to work out a deal with the Isles beforehand, signing onto a one-year contract that will pay him $4.25 million.
The one-year deal means that Nelson is now scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, joining Lee, Jordan Eberle, Robin Lehner, and others as Islanders who can hit the free agency market on July 1.
