5 Takeaways: Pulock Powers OT Win Over Rangers

Ryan Pulock's first goal of the season was a big one, as the defenseman scored the OT winner in the Islanders 3-2 win over the New York Rangers on Sunday night at Nassau Coliseum.
Pulock scored the OT-winner at 1:13 of the extra frame, coming down the right wing and snapping a wrister stick side on Igor Shesterkin.
The win salvaged two points for the Islanders after giving up a 2-0 lead. Kyle Palmieri and JG Pageau scored for the Islanders in regulation in the first period, while Libor Hajek and Brenden Smith found the back of the net for the Rangers to tie it in the second.

With the win, the Islanders avenged Friday night's loss, improved to 18-2-2 on home ice, and to 5-1-0 on their six-game homestand. The win also meant that the Islanders kept pace with the Washington Capitals for a tie for first place in the East Division.
"The goal is to win in regulation, but if you can get it to OT for guaranteed points and then try to get the extra one. We've been pretty good at that lately, but at this time of the season every single point matters, no matter how you get it and it's important that you keep collecting those because everyone around you is getting points every night, so it's important to keep points."
Here are five takeaways from a win over the Rangers:

PULOCK BREAKS THROUGH:

Ryan Pulock's celebration said it all.
The Islanders defenseman, who had scored 10, 9 and 10 goals in each of the past three years, had yet to score in 41 games this season.
It wasn't for lack of trying, as Pulock's 90 shots - entering the game - were the third-most on the team. So when Pulock broke through, the soft-spoken defenseman let out a big roar, hitting the glass in excitement as his teammates mobbed him.
"They [the team] were maybe more excited than I was, which is kind of tough," Pulock. "Obviously for me, throughout my career I've been able to score a little bit. To go through a little slump like that is tough, and as the games wore on, it got tougher. I knew I just needed to get that one and obviously it came in a big moment. I'm excited about that."
Pulock said as frustrating as it may have been, he felt his overall game had taken another step, so he was able to contribute, even without lighting the lamp. Pulock's 77 hits are tops among Isles' blueliners, while his 76 blocks are third. His 22:32 TOI/GP is highest on the team overall.
"It's his best season by far for me the way he has defended and his decision making," Head Coach Trotz said. "The one area he takes a lot of pride in is being able to score some goals with his shot over his career. This year he's been snake bitten a little bit. To get your first as a game-winner is huge for him. He was squeezing it, trying to put the puck through the end boards he was trying so hard, so I think it'll get him to relax a little bit.

ISLES START FAST, HAVE TO HOLD OFF RANGERS:

The Islanders got off to a quick start on Sunday night, outshooting the Rangers 17-8 in the first period and opening up a 2-0 lead.
It happened fast, as Palmieri made it 1-0 at 1:47, backhanding in a power-play goal for his first score as an Islander. Pageau made it 2-0 before the end of the period, coming off the bench and joining a rush with Jordan Eberle and Mathew Barzal, one-timing an Eberle feed past Shesterkin with 7.6 seconds to play in the period.
ISLANDERS VS RANGERS
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ISLANDERS RANGERS VIDEO
Full Highlights
Palmieri's First Islander Goal
Pageau Scores in Final Seconds of First
Pulock's OT Winner
Postgame: Trotz
Postgame: Palmieri and Pageau
Postgame: Sorokin and Pulock
FUEHRING'S CALLS
Palmieri's First Islander Goal
Pageau Scores in Final Seconds of First
Pulock's OT Winner
The goal was also the Islanders first power-play tally in four games, ending an 0-for-6 stretch over the previous three contests. Barry Trotz told the media on Sunday morning he was looking for quicker puck movement and more pucks towards the net to reinvigorate the man advantage and the adjustment worked early on.
The smooth sailing did not carry into the second period, as the Rangers outshot the Islanders 10-6, but carried a majority of the play en route to tying the score.
The Rangers got on the board at 10:23, as Hajek put a point shot into traffic, which deflected off an Islanders stick and past Sorokin. The goal marked the second-straight game the Rangers kid line - of 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere, 2019 second-overall pick Kaapo Kakko and 2017 first-round pick Filip Chytil - factored in on a goal vs the Islanders.
Brenden Smith tied the score 2-2 at 12:16 of the second period, converting from the slot after the Rangers won an offensive zone draw.
The Rangers two-goal middle frame dropped the Isles second period goal differential to -10 this season (29 goals for, 39 against). The Islanders have a +13 differential in the first period and a +19 differential in the third.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in the third, with seven shots apiece, killing one penalty each, setting up the extra frame and ultimately Pulock's winner.

SOROKIN VS SHESTERKIN:

Sunday was the first - and highly-anticipated - meeting between Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shesterkin, the two Russian netminders and 2014 draft picks.
Sorokin and Shesterkin met as 17-year-olds at a Team Russia training camp and have played together at the 2015 World Juniors, 2016 and 2017 World Championships and 2018 Olympics. As close as the friends are, they played for rival teams in the KHL, with Sorokin suiting up for CSKA Moscow and Shesterkin representing SKA St. Petersburg.
After 11 head-to-head matchups in Russia, Sunday was their first - of potentially many - matchups in the NHL.
"Every game with Igor, he's my big friend, every game is emotional derby in Russia," Sorokin said. "Big game and it's very good that Ryan scored in overtime and gave us good emotion."
Sorokin won the first round, stopping 24-of-26 Rangers shots, while Shesterkin stopped 29-of-32. Sorokin is now 11-1-0 in his last 12 games and improved to 8-0-0 at home.
"I feel good," Sorokin said. "When you play more, you find your game and I have great defensemen to help me."

LINE CHANGES:

Oliver Wahlstrom returned to the lineup after a two-game absence, drawing in for Leo Komarov.
Wahlstrom did not assume Komarov's spot in the lineup, slotting in alongside Kyle Palmieri - who Wahlstrom had previously trained with in Boston - and Pageau. Travis Zajac played between Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle, shifting the Islanders leading scorer to a rare appearance on the wing.
Trotz said that he was happy with his new-look lines and that these could be the lines in the near future.
"Kyle looked very comfortable today," Trotz said. "[Wahlstrom] coming in did a really good job. I think he hit a bit of a wall halfway through the game when you miss some time. Pageau was really good with the group, he controls the middle of the ice for them, gives them legs, speed and all the things he brings. They were good. Travis for [Barzal], that line was good for us tonight. They only had one shift with tough look, but for the most part they were pretty clean there, clean slate."

PALMIERI SCORES FIRST AS ISLANDER:

Kyle Palmieri scored his first goal as an Islander on Sunday, potting a rebound on the power play at 1:47.
Palmieri posted up in front of the net and was ready to backhand home a Josh Bailey rebound for his ninth of the season.
"It felt good, beating the Rangers is a big thing and winning games at home is huge at this time of year," Palmieri said. "The team found a way to get it done tonight and that's all you can ask for."
Palmieri, who was born in Smithtown and raised in New Jersey, said he's enjoyed his first week with the team and the quasi-homecoming.
"I have a lot of family out here on Long Island. I was born here, my dad grew up here - so his side of the family is all still out here," Palmieri said. "It was a lot of people reaching out and were excited for me and excited for the opportunity to join this team. I think the biggest thing that people were just excited that I got a chance to compete with the great team and try to fit into a team that's been playing really good hockey this year."

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders have three days off before kicking off a back-to-back set against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.