Predators fall to Islanders in shootout after erasing 3-goal deficit

New York scored three times before the second period was two minutes old in Tuesday's Predators-Islanders game at Bridgestone Arena, then had to hold off a Nashville rally. The Predators tied it in the third period, but the Islanders won it in a shootout, 4-3, in front of 17,159 fans. Read more: Predators fall to Islanders in shootout after rally

Anthony Duclair tipped in a Jean-Gabriel Pageau feed at 3:07 of the first period to open the scoring. At 8:07, Brayden Schenn backhanded in a loose puck for his 300th career goal. The puck had deflected off Nicolas Hague's stick to Ondrej Palat. Palat then set up Schenn for the score.

Bo Horvat then one-timed a cross-ice pass from Matthew Schaefer just 68 seconds into the second period to make it 3-0. Schaefer has now recorded a point in five straight games.

Juuse Saros settled in after that and kept Nashville within reach. He finished with 25 saves on 28 shots, needing most of them as New York outshot the Predators 28-23 for the game. That was a sign of how much ground Nashville still had to make up after that quick hole.

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Predators claw back

Filip Forsberg started the comeback at 9:42 of the second period. He converted a pass from Jonathan Marchessault on the power play.

It was his second goal in as many games. He had scored just once in Nashville's first 10 games this season. Alexander Kerfoot made it 3-2 three minutes and 20 seconds later, poking in a rebound off a Nils Hoglander shot.

Ryan O'Reilly tied it at 4:16 of the third period, backhanding in a rebound off a shot from Daemon Hunt. It was Hunt's first point with Nashville since the team claimed him off waivers from Minnesota on Oct. 24.

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The goal also pushed the game past regulation for the fifth time this season. O'Reilly now has three goals over his last two games. The game stayed scoreless through overtime and went to a shootout.

Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat both beat Saros for New York. Nashville never got a shot past Semyon Varlamov in the skills competition. Varlamov finished with 20 saves in regulation and overtime for his first NHL win since Nov. 14, 2024.

The loss leaves Nashville 0-5 this season in games that go beyond regulation. It is also the Predators' third loss in their last four games. Nashville sits at 4-3-5 with 13 points, while New York improved to 6-4-2 with 14. The Predators-Islanders result also snapped a run of seven straight Islanders losses at Bridgestone Arena.

Nashville erased a three-goal deficit and still walked away empty-handed. The Predators are back home Thursday to host Washington. It's the third stop on a five-game homestand that still has Tampa Bay and Carolina to come.