Anders Lee carves out space among NY Islanders legends with milestone hitting night

Anders Lee added another milestone chapter to his Islanders legacy Thursday night, scoring twice on the power play in the Isles' 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks and moving into rare air on the franchise’s all-time goal-scoring list.

With goals No. 296 and 297, Lee passed longtime teammate Brock Nelson to claim sole possession of fifth place in Islanders history — and the only names ahead of him now are Hall of Famers and four-time Stanley Cup champions: Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, Clark Gillies, and Denis Potvin.

Lee’s night was historic in more ways than one. Playing in his 873rd game with the Islanders, he passed Gillies for seventh on the club’s all-time games-played list. His pair of first-period power-play goals were his 80th and 81st with the man advantage, vaulting him past Pat LaFontaine and tying Derek King for seventh place in franchise power-play scoring.

The captain also delivered the first four-point performance by any Islander this season — and his first since October 27, 2018, just nine games into his captaincy. Lee’s milestone night came alongside several other notable marks. Mathew Barzal collected his 486th career point, moving within two of tying Patrick Flatley for 15th in franchise history.

“It’s an honor to be an Islander, and to be here this long, fortunate to play with a lot of great players that have found me in great spots on the ice, allowing me to score this many goals,” Lee said after the game. “It’s special and an honor to do this.”

Lee became the first Islander to score two power-play goals in a game since Zach Parise did so on November 26, 2022, and the first to do it in the first period since John Tavares achieved the feat on January 3, 2011. It marked Lee’s fifth career game with multiple power-play goals — and his first since October 23, 2022.

For a franchise defined by its legends, Lee continues to carve out a place firmly alongside them.