Islanders 4-3 Predators after overtime: Nashville's rally from 0-3 falls short

Highlights

▶Key

Twenty-two minutes. That is all the Islanders needed to lead 3-0 in Nashville — and all the head start the Predators could never fully erase, the night ending 3-4 after overtime at Bridgestone Arena.

Anthony Duclair opened the scoring at minute 4, set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Brayden Schenn doubled the lead at 9 from Ondrej Palat. The first period was choppy as well as costly: six minors, three to each side, with Roman Josi and Matthew Wood among the home offenders, Duclair and Palat for the visitors. Bo Horvat made it 0-3 at minute 22 off Simon Holmstrom's feed, and New York looked in full command.

Then Nashville answered. Filip Forsberg broke through at 30, assisted by Jonathan Marchessault, Alexander Kerfoot cut the gap to 2-3 at 34 off Nils Hoglander, and Ryan O'Reilly completed the recovery at 45, with Forsberg again the provider. The shot clock stayed with the guests, 23-28, while the special teams told their own story: 1/5 for the home side, 0/5 for New York. Juuse Saros stopped 25 shots; Semyon Varlamov turned aside 20. It still finished 3-4 after overtime, New York's night.

Forsberg was the engine of the comeback — a goal, an assist, four shots — and nearly its saboteur too, taking a minor at minute 63 that handed the Islanders a man advantage they wasted, their fifth failed power play of the night. Kerfoot ended plus-1 with his goal, O'Reilly supplied the tying tally, and Daemon Hunt chipped in an assist from the blue line.

Nashville spent the evening climbing out of a hole dug in the first twenty minutes — and ran out of ladder in overtime.