Islanders Brock Nelson 19-20 top 3 highlights: Shooters gallery

New York Islanders Brock Nelson had another great year in 2019-20. Here are his top three highlights.

It was yet another breakout season for New York Islanders center Brock Nelson. With 54 points in 68 games, the Islanders first-round pick in 2010 had himself another career year. Those 54 points put him on pace to hit 65 over a full season.

Not only is Brock Nelson putting up a ton of points, but he’s become an integral part of Barry Trotz’s outfit. The center routinely takes draws (and wins them) for his team, he’s a top player on the power play and plays the second most minutes for a forward behind Casey Cizikas on the penalty kill.

The last two seasons have been incredibly transformative for Brock Nelson. But through that transformation, Nelson hasn’t lost his ability to score goals. He tied a career-high 26 goals through 68 games this season, putting him on pace for what should have been a 30+ goal season.

Here’s three of his best from 2019-20.

Brock Nelson OT Hero

With three overtime goals this year, only David Perron (who has four) has more overtime goals this year than Brock Nelson.

To be fair, Nelson is tied with six other players at three overtime goals this season. Regardless, the point is that Brock has come up at clutch times frequently in the extra frame this season for the New York Islanders.

None were better than this OT tally against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

What makes this overtime goal even more special is not just that it’s in an incredible show of hands form the Islanders center. Or that it gave the Islanders the win after they squandered a 3-2 lead with 30 seconds left.

It’s that this was Brock Nelson’s second OT winner in back-to-back nights against the Penguins.

Lethal Wrist Shot

NHL goalies have become so skilled at their position that it’s routine for a forward to use a defender as a screen to get a shot through. With a defender blocking the view of the shot it makes it easier (if you can outplay said defender) to sneak a shot past the goalie.

Watch how Brock Nelson uses future New York Islanders defenseman Andy Greene to screen Mackenzie Blackwood as he sticks this wicked wrist shot right in the toy department.

Quick Reflexes

Sometimes a good player just has to be at the right place at the right time.

Here, linemates Anthony Beauvillier and Derick Brassard work the puck along the boards superbly. But just as Tampa Bay is about to gain possession of the puck it hops off Luke Schenn‘s stick and right to Brock Nelson in the slot.

Nelson does well to get that first attempt on Andrei Vasilevskiy, but his second attempt is the impressive part as he knocks it past Vasilevskiy with a nifty forehand over the sprawling goalie.

It’s one thing to be Johnny on the spot, but it’s another to have the reflexes to knock that puck by a per-annual Vezina candidate after he already made an initial stop. Top-level goal scoring form from Brock Nelson.