4 Takeaways From Islanders’ 6-3 Win vs Ducks

The New York Islanders needed a bounce back performance and dominated a struggling Anaheim Ducks team to return to the win column. After back-to-back losses to the Washington Capitals on March 11 and the Los Angeles Kings on March 14, they stepped up and overwhelmed the Ducks with a decisive 6-3 victory.

The Islanders made a statement in the recent game, scoring six goals for the first time since the Jan. 3 win against the Vancouver Canucks. Granted, the performance was against the Ducks who are one of the worst teams in the league and possess a defense that allows 4.00 goals per game. However, the Islanders showed what they can do, especially on the offensive end of the ice to not only take over games but make a deep playoff run.

Palmieri’s Big Game

Kyle Palmieri made a statement against his former team. He was selected by the Ducks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and had a strong start to his career, scoring 43 goals and 46 assists in five years with the team. The recent game was a return back to where his career started and the 32-year-old forward wanted to remind the Ducks that he can still take over a game with his shot and quick passes.

In the first period, Palmieri scored the first goal of the game for the Islanders and assisted on three goals as well in the six-goal performance. The four-point game was a career-high for Palmieri and without question, his best game of the season as he helped lead the Islanders to a 6-3 victory.

Related: 3 Takeaways From Islanders 5-2 Loss vs Kings

With the four points, Palmieri now has 11 goals and 15 assists on the season. He has been a reliable contributor to the offense all season and his playmaking presence on the wing has helped open things up. Against the Ducks, he was the best player on the ice and along with finding the back of the net with a great shot, he carved up the opposition with his passes in the offensive zone.

Nelson’s Two-Goal Night

Brock Nelson scored the Islanders’ third goal of the game which helped flip the momentum and give them the lead heading into the third period. He found an open shot on a quick pass to catch Ducks goaltender John Gibson out of position and found the back of the net to allow the Islanders to score a goal in the final minute of the second period.

To cap off the night, Nelson scored his second goal of the game in the third period to give the Islanders a three-goal lead, essentially putting the game out of…