It's not like Babe Ruth will make his own decisions, but Brock Nelson will come home from Hockey Fight Cancer Night with a great story to tell.
During the first intermission of the Islanders' 3-1 win over the Blues on Saturday, Nelson was informed in his exit interview with MSG's Shannon Hogan that he was Henry Schaefer's favorite player.
And Schaefer, an 8-year-old leukemia survivor, wanted to see him score in person Saturday night.
Nelson said he would do his best.
In the next period, with the Islanders on the power play, Nelson took a knee in the slot and took a feed from Max Tsyplakov and pounded it in for a 2-0 lead.
“It’s fun to go out and do things like that on nights like that,” Nelson said. “Shannon and I talked briefly about positive energy, a little expression, and trying to get out there. His request was special and we were happy to do it.”
nelson According to Hogan's post on Xsigned an Islanders cap for Schaefer after the game: “To Henry, thank you for the good luck!”
“The fans are important to us, but the cause is bigger than that,” coach Patrick Roy said. “Everyone is touched by that. And to see Nelly score that goal, there couldn’t be a better scenario.”
With this goal, Nelson moved into the top 10 in team scoring. He assisted on Kyle Palmieri's empty-net goal in the final minute, ending the night in a tie for ninth place with John Tonelli.
He currently has 544 career points. It is no exaggeration to say that this ranks as one of the most memorable.
“I've been lucky to be here as long as I've been here. I've played with a lot of great players. This is a storied franchise,” Nelson said. “I'm lucky to have been part of this project for so long. I have great colleagues. I'm lucky to have played with so many great players over the years. I have so many memories and many more to come. I have memories.”
Ilya Sorokin recorded his 100th win as an NHL goaltender.
Sorokin, who played in 205 games, said, “It's a good result, but there are too many games to win 100.''
Roy was more cheerful about it, joking, “Marty Brodeur has 500 left, right?” — A reference to Brodeur's record of 691 career wins.
Roy questioned the goaltender interference call that nullified Noah Dobson's third-period goal after a Blues challenge.
“It's hard to understand now what exactly the rules are about goalkeeper interference,” he said. “I'm sure it's the same thing for them. There's a lot of gray area there.”
