Game Preview: Islanders vs Predators

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (34-27-15) VS NASHVILLE PREDATORS (44-28-4)

7:30 PM ET | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETS

WATCH: MSGSN | MSG+ | ESPN+

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 98.7FM

The New York Islanders are in the hunt for their fourth consecutive win when they take on the Nashville Predators on Saturday at UBS Arena.

The Islanders put forth a dominant effort in a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Thursday night. Pierre Engvall, Bo Horvat, Noah Dobson (GWG) and Kyle Palmieri (ENG) scored in the win. Ilya Sorokin made 25 saves in his second straight start and win.

The Predators are coming off a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg (2G, 1A), Anthony Beauvillier (PPG), Michael McCarron, Mark Jankowski scored for the Predators while Gustav Nyquist had three assists.

Although the Isles were idle on Friday, they wake up Saturday in third place in the Metropolitan Division, as the out-of-town scoreboard was kind to the Islanders. The Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings all lost in regulation. As a result, Flyers (83 points) slipped out of third and into the second wild card spot, while the Capitals (82 points) remained out of the playoff picture. The Red Wings (82 points) also trail the Flyers for the final wild card by one point and have a game in-hand.

The Islanders (83 points) have a game in-hand over the Flyers, though the two teams are tied in points and Philly has the tiebreaker in regulation wins. The Pittsburgh Penguins are also in the mix with a boost of their seven-game point streak (5-0-2). The Metro is as packed as ever, with the middle four teams separated by two points, but the Islanders are prepared for the crucial stretch of six regular season games remaining.

“We’re just staying positive and sticking together,” Mathew Barzal said. “We’re playing good hockey, but I still think we have another gear we can play to and that’s what we’re building. I think these games, especially with what’s on the line, is bringing the best out of everyone.”

MORNING SKATE UPDATES:

- Semyon Varlamov is the confirmed starter for the Islanders on Saturday night. Varlamov is 4-1-1 in his last six starts with a 2.65 GAA and a .915 SV%/

- Kevin Lankinen is the likely starter for the Predators. Lankinen is 10-5-0 this season a 3.03 GAA and a .902 SV% this season. He is 1-0-0 lifetime against the Isles, making 48 saves in a 4-1 Preds win on Dec. 2, 2022.

FIRST RESPONDERS NIGHT 

The Islanders are hosting First Responders Night at UBS Arena on Saturday, focused on honoring healthcare workers, paramedics, EMTs, police officers and firefighters, who selflessly to protect and serve the community every day. First Responders will receive a 10% discount on merchandise at Isles Lab on Saturday.

Pick up your complimentary Islanders first aid kit on exit while supplies last, courtesy of Northwell, the Official Healthcare Partner of the New York Islanders. Tickets are available here.

ISLES NOTES

- Cal Clutterbuck was nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy by the Islanders chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association (PHWA) on Friday morning. The veteran winger has 19 points (7G, 12) and played in all 76 games this season, his 17th in the NHL. Clutterbuck played in his 1,000th NHL game this season and became the first player to record 4,000 hits in NHL history.

- Horvat is riding a three-game goal streak (3G) with Barzal picking up the primary assist on each goal. 

- Palmieri buried his 10th goal in his last 17 outings with an empty netter against Columbus on Thursday. The winger reached the 25-goal mark for the fifth time in his career first time since the 2019-20 season. 

- Dobson lit the lamp for the first time since Mar. 7 with a tally that held as the game-winner. The defenseman not only came up big in an important moment for the team, but had a strong defensive performance as well. 

“That was a big goal by Noah. I was happy to see him scoring that goal, but more than that, the way he played defensively,” Head Coach Patrick Roy said. “We want to generate some offense, but we also want to make sure we play well defensively, and Noah did a great job in that regard.”

- Though second periods have been a weak spot for the Islanders this season, they’ve seen significant improvement over the course of their three-game winning streak, only allowing one goal in second periods over that span. The Islanders also held their opponent scoreless in consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 11 - 15. 

- The Islanders improved to a record of 23-5-10 in games where they score the first goal of the game. Under Roy, they are 10-2-1 when scoring first.

PREDATORS NOTES 

- The Predators occupy the top wild card spot in the Western Conference with 92 points. They have a one-point advantage over the Los Angeles Kings, who hold the second wild card with 91 points and an equal number of games played. The Preds have an eight-point cushion over the St. Louis Blues (84 points), while Nashville trails the Winnipeg Jets (98 points) by six points for third in the Central Division. 

- Former Islander Anthony Beauvillier played nine games for the Predators since he traded by the Chicago Blackhawks on Mar. 7 in exchange for fifth-round draft pick. The 26-year-old winger netted his first goal with Nashville on Thursday. 

- The Predators went on a tear recently, recording a franchise-record point streak of 18 games (16-0-2) where they posted a stretch from Feb. 15 - Mar. 28 without losing in regulation. The heater boosted them into a playoff spot, as they were four points outside the playoff picture with 56 points in 54 games on Feb. 15.

- Filip Forsberg has been a force for Nashville, leading the team in goals (43) and points (87). The 29-year-old winger has nine points (4G, 5A) in his last five outings. 

- Roman Josi leads the team with 57 assists on the season. The 33-year-old defenseman hit a couple of milestones recently, notching his career 500th assist on Mar. 28 in a three-point game (3A) and skated in his 900th NHL game on the same night. 

- The Predators’ penalty kill (76.7%) ranks 24th in the NHL.