NY Islanders Star of the Week: Brock Nelson comes up big

Throughout the week of February 12, the NY Islanders played three games in total, losing two out of three. One thing that showed through all three games, is Brock Nelson is very good at hockey. The first game came on Tuesday night when the Islanders came home to go up against the Ottawa Senators. This was a game that the Islanders very well could have, and should have, won.

The Islanders would come up just short, falling to the Senators 3-2 in a shootout. Ryan Pulock would get the Islanders on the board, early in the second period, giving them the 1-0 lead. However, the Senators would score twice to go up one goal.

""There are moments where we need to be more desperate," Ryan Pulock said after the loss. "We're sagging and we're not playing with enough pressure.""

Ryan Pulock on the Isles loss to Ottawa

Nelson would turn out to be the difference maker, scoring a goal with over 12 minutes left in the third period, tying the game at two. This goal came off assists by Noah Dobson and Mat Barzal. Nelson's goal would force overtime and would pick up at least one point for the Islanders.

On Friday, the Islanders would welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins home in what could have very well been the biggest game of the season to date. The Islanders would walk away with the 5-4 victory over the Penguins, helping to put themselves in a better spot in the Wild Card standings.

Anders Lee and Brock Nelson each picked up two goals in this game. But it wasn't until Nelson found Zach Parise to score the game-winning goal with under three minutes left to play in the third period. Parise forced the regulation win for the Islanders, thus helping to widen the gap between the Penguins and the Islanders.

Nelson's first goal of the night would come late in the second period, as he would give the Islanders the 3-2 lead over Pittsburgh. Off an assist by Scott Mayfield and Alexander Romanov, the Islanders would pick up their first lead of the game. Nelson's second and final goal of the night came off an assist by Dobson and Lee, on the powerplay with just under 15 minutes left in the third period.

The third and final game of the week came on Saturday when the Islanders traveled north to take on the Boston Bruins. This was an all-around brutal game on all fronts, as the Islanders would fall to the NHL's best team, 6-2. Kyle Palmieri and Matt Martin did their part to get on the scoreboard, but it was not to be. The bigger story here was the loss of the Islanders' star player, Mat Barzal.

Nelson had an incredible week this week for his team, picking up three goals, and tallying one assist. He came up big, in big moments, and it is no question that Nelson was indeed the Islanders' star of the week.