UNIONDALE, N.Y. — If this was indeed the playoff-bound Islanders’ final regular-season game at Nassau Coliseum, they gave the outdated but beloved barn a worthwhile farewell.
Reversing their sluggish play from a three-game, post-clinching losing streak, the Islanders beat the Devils, 5-1, on Saturday night. The passing was crisper, there was good structure in their defensive game and they consistently got pucks deep.
And career Islander Brock Nelson, playing in his 300th consecutive game, scored twice in the second period.
The Islanders (32-17-6) still have a slim possibility of finishing third in the East Division. They must win in regulation in Monday’s season finale in Boston and then have the Bruins lose in regulation in their last game on Tuesday in Washington.
There was a lingering cheer from the sellout crowd of 1,400 as the Islanders gathered at center ice to salute the fans after the win.
The Islanders, of course, left the Coliseum once before, moving to Barclays Center for the 2015-16 season. That Brooklyn arena quickly proved unsuitable and the Islanders returned to split home games between the Coliseum and Barclays in 2018-19 and last season. This season marked a temporary full-time return to the Coliseum before opening UBS Arena at Belmont Park.
"Yeah it’s definitely sad," Casey Cizikas, an Islander since 2012, said before the game. "The Coliseum is the Coliseum. There’s nothing like it. We’re going to try and leave this building with good memories."
The Islanders ended with a sterling 21-4-3 home record this season and are 877-629-169 (ties)-63 (overtime losses) all time at the Coliseum.
This season’s home winning percentage of .804 is the fourth best in team history, per team statistician Eric Hornick. The Islanders were 33-3-4 (.875) in 1981-82.
But there’s still a chance the Islanders will have more regular-season home games at the Coliseum. UBS Arena is targeted to open in November, but the NHL wants to start next season on Oct. 12. Depending on when the new building is ready, the Islanders may have to play a handful of games at the Coliseum.
"There’s just such a strong connection with the fans and the team being the only team out here on the Island," said Nelson, who also first played for the Islanders in 2012. "The atmosphere when fans get going and the Barn is rocking is second to none."
Nelson regained a 2-1 lead for the Islanders with a power-play goal at 9:00 of the second period, knocking in a rebound from the slot after Mackenzie Blackwood (22 saves) could not keep Oliver Wahlstrom’s blast from the left circle in his glove. He made it 3-1 at 12:40 as Blackwood could not control Anthony Beauvillier’s shot and Josh Bailey slid the rebound to Nelson at the right post.
The Islanders then broke it open quickly in the third period. Ex-Devil Kyle Palmieri, tracking down Wahlstrom’s lifted backhand up the ice, made it 4-1 at 3:32 with his second goal as an Islander since being acquired on April 7. Mathew Barzal finished a two-on-one rush to make it 5-1 at 4:09.
Ilya Sorokin made 13 of his 23 saves in the third period.
The Islanders started with a strong first period and held an 11-2 shot advantage as Jordan Eberle lifted a shot off Barzal’s two-on-one feed at 18:01. It was a prime example of what Trotz wants to see — defense creating offense — as Leo Komarov was strong on the backcheck as the Islanders transitioned after breaking up a potential Devils’ opportunity.
Their worst stretch came early in the second period and Andreas Johnsson tied the game at 4:58 as the Islanders’ defense was caught flat-footed.
