The Colorado Avalanche got a big 4-1 win over the New York Islanders at Ball Arena on Sunday night. The Islanders were a tough opponent for the Avs, as the New York squad pushed Colorado down to the wire.
But in the end, the Avalanche prevailed. The game featured a reunion as Jonathan Drouin returned to Colorado as a member of the Islanders. Meanwhile, Brock Nelson faced his former team for the first time since last season’s trade deadline deal.
And Nelson took advantage of the opportunity to torch his former team. With the game 3-1 in the final seconds, Nelson put the exclamation mark on the game with his fifth of the season
Here’s a look at the tally as shown on the Avalanche’s official X account:
Here is that other goal btw https://t.co/bb10Lvx4UR pic.twitter.com/6gaHvgyaaF
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 17, 2025
Nelson did a great job of redirecting the shot from Brent Burns and past Islanders’ netminder Ilya Sorokin.
But that wasn’t all for Nelson. The former Islanders draft pick also assisted on the second-period goal by Ross Colton. Colton’s beautiful breakaway goal tied the game early in the second after the Isles took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
Nelson opened up about his experience playing against the Islanders. Check out the Avalanche forward's interview with Altitude TV. Nelson highlighted how nice it was to catch up with old friends. But on the ice, it was all business. And Nelson made sure he took care of it.
For Nelson, it was a full-circle moment. Last season, the Islanders traded the former first-round pick from the 2010 NHL Draft as he was set to become a UFA. Nelson had played his entire career in Long Island up to that point. So, Sunday night’s tilt was a way in which his career sort of circled back to its beginnings.
The circle will be completed for Nelson when the Avalanche visit UBS Arena on December 4. The Avalanche will visit the Islanders then, marking the first time the 34-year-old will play in New York since last season’s trade.
Meanwhile, Nelson earned the game’s second star for his efforts. Goalie Scott Wedgewood outdueled Ilya Sorokin, locking down the game’s first star.