SALT LAKE CITY — New Developments for Islanders in Denver
The Islanders head to Denver for their matchup against the Avalanche on Sunday, marking the fifth game of their seven-game road trip.
Brock Nelson will face his former team, the Islanders, for the first time after netting 295 goals over 901 regular season games with the team. To put it in perspective, he stands fifth in the club’s history for both goals and games played. Meanwhile, Islanders coach Patrick Roy will be coaching against the Colorado team he once played for, where he enjoyed eight seasons and won two Stanley Cups.
Amidst all this, another key storyline is Jonathan Drouin’s return to Colorado. Drouin scored 30 goals during his 122 games with the Rockies and was the Islanders’ notable offseason acquisition after signing a two-year, $8 million free agent deal.
“I’m excited. I had a great time in Colorado,” Drouin mentioned. Just recently, he scored the tying goal in a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory against the Mammoths at Delta Center. “The fans, my teammates, the staff—everyone has been great to me. I enjoyed my two years there, but I really love New York so far. It’s been amazing.”
As for his performance, Drouin is contributing significantly. He bagged a breakaway goal and assisted twice during a solid 5-0 win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Just two nights later, in overtime against the Devils, he assisted Mathew Barzal and scored the game-winner. In Las Vegas, he helped set up goals for Matthew Schaefer and Barzal. Against Utah, a controversial play involving kicking the puck toward the net survived video review.
Roy praised Drouin’s contributions, highlighting his solid two-way play—three goals, 11 assists, and a plus-7. “I was very impressed with him. His 200-foot game has been vital for us. He plays well defensively, and that overtime play was just exceptional.”
The Isles have started strong in back-to-back matchups, going 3-0-0 in those situations. Interestingly, despite being outshot in several games (the latest count against them was 29-21), they have a unique trend: they’re 8-1-0 when opponents shoot more, contrasting sharply with a 1-5-1 record in similar scenarios.
