Carrier Nets Late Game-Winner in Predators 3-1 Victory Over Islanders

Luke Evangelista tied it up and Alexandre Carrier sealed the deal with 7.9 seconds remaining to hand the Nashville Predators a 3-1 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday Night in SMASHVILLE.

The win was the second time this season the Predators have climbed out of a deficit in the final five minutes and won in regulation - the first time being Nov. 20 against the Colorado Avalanche.

For the Predators, a gutsy win at home after a decidedly tough battle in Dallas just hours earlier was exactly the statement they were looking to make at 501 Broadway.

“That was the biggest thing for us - especially after a big loss at home earlier this week - we wanted to just show up, even on a back-to-back, and really step it up,” Carrier said. “And I think we did. It felt like a playoff game out there with the crowd into it. There wasn't a lot going on, it was super tight and I think it was a great response by our guys, especially on the back-to-back coming from Dallas last night and just showing up and being together and playing.”

“We came out a couple times at home and just laid a couple eggs, and we talk about it all the time, that this has to be a hard building to come into and play in,” Evangelista said. “And tonight it was a really tight game. It came right down the wire and so to finally break the momentum and get the win was huge.”

The result earned Nashville a perfect back-to-back set and moved the team to 24-18-1 on the season as they turn their attention to a three-game road trip starting Monday in Vegas.

QUICK HITS

Evangelista’s First on the Power Play

Saturday’s contest was a tight, scoreless affair for 52 minutes, until Jean-Gabriel Pageau cracked the scoreless tie and put the visitors up by one.

The Predators, however, would not take long to respond.

Firing a laser past goaltender Ilya Sorokin from the circle, Evangelista netted the first power-play goal of his career and inspired a late surge in momentum for Nashville.

Of course, Evangelista’s ensuing celly - a passionate rallying cry to the Predators faithful inside Bridgestone Arena - didn’t hurt the home team’s momentum, either.

“It was a bit of an outrageous celly,” Evangelista laughed. “But the fans have been loyal to us. They've been sticking with us. We've been struggling a little bit at home and we could feel the atmosphere and the energy tonight. So when I scored that goal, the adrenaline kind of took over.”\

Evangelista now has four goals in his last seven outings and eight goals on the season, and is proving a bright spot as of late for the Predators.

“He's a very poised kid,” Predators Head Coach Andrew Brunette said. “He's got some pretty good swagger to him, which I appreciate. I don't think any moment is too big for him. He's got tremendous poise, as we saw in that goal, and he's growing, he's getting better.”

A Strange Bounce, A Satisfying Win

Carrier’s game-winner may have taken the strangest bounce of his career, but the blueliner certainly wasn’t complaining.

Ripping off Carrier’s stick from the point, then careening off Isles defenseman Scott Mayfield’s twig and over the top of Sorokin, the Predators blueliner sealed the deal for the home team with just over eight seconds remaining.

“I'll take it, for sure,” Carrier said. “Lauzon was nice enough to pass it to me and let me try and shoot it. [It was] a great bounce, but sometimes you’ve just got to put it on net and good things happen.”

The marker was the third game-winner of Carrier’s career and his third goal of the season.

Battle of the Heavyweights

The Predators and Islanders entered Saturday’s contest with the most and second-most hits in the NHL, with 939 and 812, respectively.

On Saturday, the hits were plentiful.

With 49 hits recorded before the night was out - 28 for New York and 21 for Nashville - Saturday gave the Predators a tough, playoff-like challenge on the final half of a back-to-back set.

The Predators, however, weathered the physical battle and emerged the victors.

“It was fun,” Predators defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. “It’s a game that you’ve got to be up for and engaged in. And we knew it was going to be a tight battle and it came down to kind of an ugly one… So, physical games are always fun to be a part of, especially when you come out on top.”

Predators scoring leader Filip Forsberg led his team in hits on Saturday with three.

UP NEXT

The Predators kick off a three-game road trip on Monday against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena.

Puck drop is at 5 p.m. CT, with the game set to broadcast on Bally Sports South, 102.5 The Game and El Jefe Radio.

NOTES

• Juuse Saros made 24 saves against New York and improved to 17-15-1 on the season.
• Juuso Parssinen’s empty-net tally in the third period was his second-such goal in as many games; the forward scored on the empty net on Friday in Dallas.
• Tyson Barrie (upper body, day-to-day) Cody Glass and Kiefer Sherwood were scratched and did not skate in Saturday’s game.