Four players scored a goal apiece Friday night for the Nashville Predators, who completed a successful back-to-back road set by defeating the New York Islanders 4-1 in Elmont, N.Y.
Filip Forsberg scored in the first period and Roman Josi scored the eventual game-winner in the second for the Predators, who beat the Eastern Conference-leading New Jersey Devils 4-3 in overtime on Thursday night.
Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund added empty netters late Friday. Duchene's goal was the 300th of his career. Duchene added two assists, and Forsberg and Josi had one apiece.
Goalie Kevin Lankinen made a career-high 48 saves for the Predators, who have won seven of nine games (7-1-1).
Mathew Barzal scored in the third for the Islanders, who lost their second straight despite recording their most shots since they had 50 against the Chicago Blackhawks in a 3-2 overtime win on Jan. 3, 2019. Goalie Ilya Sorokin recorded 19 saves.
The Predators scored their first two goals on the power play following faceoffs deep in the Islanders' zone.
Islanders center Casey Cizikas won a faceoff with Ryan Johansen, but Alexander Romanov's pass was picked off by Josi, who passed to Duchene. The Predators' center dished across the ice to Forsberg, who went to one knee and fired a shot beyond Sorokin's stick as the New York goalie was caught leaning toward Duchene with 5:42 left in the first.
The Predators doubled the lead by scoring during a 4-on-3 power play 8:22 into the second. Johansen won the faceoff against Cizikas, and Duchene retrieved the puck before passing to Josi, who exchanged the puck with Forsberg before firing a sizzling slap shot from just in front of the blue line over Sorokin's shoulder as Johansen leaped out of the way.
The Islanders collected 13 of the first 16 shots in the third period before finally scoring off a faceoff loss deep in the Nashville zone shortly beyond the midway point.
Colton Sissons outdueled Jean-Gabriel Pageau on the faceoff, but Brock Nelson got a stick on a clearing pass by Tanner Jeannot. The puck skittered to Barzal, who shuffled the puck well into the left faceoff circle before firing a shot over the glove of Lankinen with 8:54 left. The goalie was screened by Anders Lee.
The Islanders pulled Sorokin in the final two minutes, but Duchene scored his milestone goal with 1:13 remaining, and Granlund added another insurance goal with 36.9 seconds left.
--Field Level Media
Nashville | NY Islanders | |
Matt Duchene 3 | Points | Mathew Barzal 1 |
Matt Duchene 1 | Goals | Mathew Barzal 1 |
Matt Duchene 2 | Assists | Brock Nelson 1 |
Filip Forsberg 1 | Power Play Goals | Mathew Barzal 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Kevin Lankinen .980 | Save Percentage | Ilya Sorokin .905 |
Kevin Lankinen 48 | Saves | Ilya Sorokin 19 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Nashville | 23 | 4 | 2-3 | 3-4 | 13 | 32 |
NY Islanders | 49 | 1 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 11 | 24 |