New York Islanders: Struggles of Brock Nelson

Brock Nelson Has Been A Non Factor For The New York Islanders In The Playoffs

Last year, Jack Capuano scratched the 20 goal scorer for a game in the Washington Capitals series. Capuano has yet to scratch Brock Nelson in the playoffs this year, but he should highly consider doing it.

During the regular season Nelson scored 26 goals and was just 2 points shy of his point total from last year. Although he put up decent numbers as a whole, Nelson went rather quiet down the stretch.

His quietness has carried over into the playoffs. Nelson scored in Game 1 of the Panthers series and he has pretty much been no where to be found since.

In round one, the Kulemin-Nelson-Bailey line was a liability every time they touched the ice it seemed. Jack Capuano has since shaken up the lines but the struggles have continued for Brock Nelson, which is why Jack Capuano should scratch Nelson.

Early in the year Capuano sent down a struggling Ryan Strome. Strome was unhappy, but when he returned he seemed to elevate his play initially. Although it was only short lived it was a wake up call for Ryan Strome. The same thing happened to Strome in the playoffs. After being scratched he came back and played a solid game.

The Islanders saw similar results from Josh Bailey. Bailey after getting injured and scratched, came back and played a very solid game in Game 3 scoring 2 goals. Bailey looked horrendous before getting scratched but it’s possible that he too had a wake up call.

The Islanders secondary scoring has been inconsistent. Some days it seems like they are finally coming around, when at other times they really make it noticed that the team is missing a partner for John Tavares.

The final straw for Brock Nelson was his brutal effort in Game 3. It looked like he was just gliding, with minimal effort. He was on the ice for the Brian Boyle‘s game winner, and he didn’t look good.

If the Islanders do comeback and win this series, they are going to need an awoken Brock Nelson. They already miss Anders Lee, having Brock Nelson missing in action doesn’t help things.

Next: New York Islanders: John Tavares Has Stepped Up His Game

If Nelson sits, maybe it wakes him up. We’ve seen it happen with Ryan Strome and Josh Bailey. Brock Nelson isn’t the only problem, but right now he isn’t a part of the solution either. The Islanders need him to be a factor going forward.