The Islanders’ best center and best offensive performer in the playoffs thus far has not been the superstar who returned from injury, nor the superstar who was acquired at the trade deadline.
As Mathew Barzal works his way back into form and Bo Horvat tries to find the net with more consistency, it is Brock Nelson who has unimpeachably risen to the moment as the Islanders go into Game 6 on Friday against the Hurricanes trying to extend their season again.
Nelson, with two goals and three assists, is one of two Islanders players to average a point per game over the first five matches of the first-round series.
The other, Kyle Palmieri, not-so-coincidentally plays to his right.
And their line, including Pierre Engvall on the left, is the only one the Islanders have played for more than 10 minutes that has outscored Carolina at five-on-five.
So, something there is going right.
“I think everyone tries to elevate a little more come this time and be a difference-maker,” Nelson told The Post following practice Thursday. “Part of that is staying patient and being ready for your moment. Our line, I think, right now is feeling pretty good, supporting one another and how we’ve done. Try more of the same.”
While the Hurricanes have focused their energy on shutting down Horvat and Barzal, with some degree of success, the second line has quietly gone to work.
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Nelson, still sporting a bubble helmet courtesy of a late-March hit from Noel Acciari, has played the same businesslike game that defined his season: be in the right places at the right times doing the right things.
It’s not flashy.
But the results are inarguable.
Nelson had the ultimate right-place, right-time goal in Game 5, swiping the puck in after Pierre Engvall’s shot hit Sebastian Aho’s face.
“[Carolina’s] doing such a heavy job [matching up] on our line, you need guys. You need those guys to play well,” Barzal said. “They’ve done extremely well. Even when I was out watching Nelly’s line, they were the catalysts. A lot of the time this year, they’ve been our top line.
“It’s just nice to see them, how they all work together. Engvall, got the speed down the wall. Nelly’s a good, rangy centerman who can score and Palms is kind of like a pit bull who can do everything. It just seems to be really working, clicking.”
Nelson is more than happy to share the credit with his linemates. But the player who has been the Islanders’ leading scorer in two straight seasons probably deserves a healthy chunk of it.
“Our line, we’ve played some pretty good hockey for a while,” he said. “Just supporting one another and being confident, we’re able to get some turnovers. With this series, we’ve done a pretty good job of that. It’s pretty tight out there to find space. But we’ve had a few looks we’ve capitalized on.”
If the Islanders are to win their next two games and keep the season rolling into the second round, they will need contributions from up and down the lineup — in particular from some of the players who have yet to leave an imprint on the series.
But there is no worry about what they’ll get from Nelson.
“Look back at the season he’s had,” Kyle Palmieri told The Post. “He’s played great for us all year. He’s stayed healthy. I think for him, everyone gets a little more excited, a little more jump. He’s a big player on our team and he’s showing up in the big moments.”