After briefly returning to playoff positioning on Thursday, the New York Islanders (34-27-15) face the Nashville Predators (44-28-4) as both teams test their Wild Card aspirations.
After briefly returning to playoff positioning on Thursday, the New York Islanders (34-27-15) face the Nashville Predators (44-28-4) as both teams test their Wild Card aspirations.
Puck drop from UBS Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The last time the Islanders and Predators met was Jan. 13 in the Music City. Juuse Saros and Ilya Sorokin traded zeroes across the first 52 minutes of play, but Jean-Gabriel Pageau broke the ice in the third period. Luke Evangelista got the game tied inside the final five minutes, seemingly forcing the game to overtime. However, after a failed clearance, a bouncing puck tipped by Alexandre Carrier beat Sorokin with eight seconds left, and an empty net goal seven seconds later capped off a last-minute, 3-1 win.
Since the two teams last met, the Predators have clawed their way into the thick of the postseason picture. Nashville went on a franchise-record 18-game point streak, going 16-0-2 in that span and owning the top Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. They enter play on Saturday as the top Wild Card in the Western Conference and can clinch a playoff spot with a win and losses by the St. Louis Blues in regulation and the Minnesota Wild in any fashion.
Saturday also marks a historic return for a former Islanders head coach. Barry Trotz, now Predators general manager, will return to UBS Arena for the first time since departing the organization in 2022. In four seasons as Islanders head coach, he led the team to the playoffs three times and two third-round appearances, totaling a 152-102-34 record in regular season play and a Jack Adams Award in 2019.
Where They've Been:
Nashville continued their winning ways on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues. Roman Josi and Brandon Saad traded goals in the first period, but Nashville tallied the next three. Filip Forsberg and Anthony Beauvillier added goals in the middle period, and Michale McCarron padded the lead in the third. St. Louis attempted to spark a comeback with Jake Neighbours, and Jordan Kyrou got St. Louis within one, but Forsberg and Mark Jankowski scored empty net goals to seal a 6-3 Nashville win.
Players To Watch:
Patrick Roy confirmed that Semyon Varlamov will make his 24th start of the season on Saturday (10-8-4, 2.84 GAA, .912 SV%). He earned the win in his last start with three goals on 34 shots in an overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers. Against Nashville, Varlamov is 12-14-2 with a 3.30 GAA and .894 SV%, dropping his last game against them with four goals on 29 shots on Dec. 9, 2021.
After being reunited by Roy, Horvat and Mathew Barzal have worked their magic once again. Barzal has four assists in his last three games, while Horvat has three goals in as many contests since being put back together.
Kyle Palmieri leads active Islanders in goals and points against Nashville with nine and 16, respectively; Brock Nelson leads in helpers against the Predators with nine.
Kevin Lankinen left the ice first for Nashville, as he is projected to make his 16th start of the season on Saturday (10-5-0, 3.03 GAA .902 SV%). He last started against the Colorado Avalanche on March 30, letting up six goals on 41 shots in a losing effort. Against the Islanders, he won his only matchup against them, making 48 saves on Dec. 2, 2022.
Forsberg added a secondary assist in Nashville's last meeting with the Islanders. He has a three-game point streak against them, with two goals and three assists in that span. Josi has points in four straight against New York, totaling a goal and seven assists in that span.
Forsberg and Josi have been the key players in Nashville's rise up the standings. Since March 1, Forsberg has 14 goals and 12 assists in 15 games, tallying at least one point in all but two of those games; Josi has five goals and 12 assists in that same timeframe.
Gustav Nyquist has enjoyed a career year with Nashville, shattering career-highs in assists and points with 49 and 71, respectively, in addition to 22 goals.
The Predators bolstered their forward depth since they last met the Islanders, adding Denis Guiranov, Jason Zucker, and former Islander Beauvillier, who added a goal against the Blues on Thursday. Zucker has also impressed since joining Nashville, tallying four goals and two assists in 12 games.
New York Islanders Projected Lines
Casey Cizikas -- Bo Horvat -- Mathew Barzal
Pierre Engvall -- Brock Nelson -- Kyle Palmieri
Anders Lee -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Hudson Fasching
Matt Martin -- Kyle MacLean -- Cal Clutterbuck
Alexander Romanov -- Noah Dobson
Adam Pelech -- Ryan Pulock
Mike Reilly -- Robert Bortuzzo
Semyon Varlamov
Ilya Sorokin
Nashville Predators Projected Lines:
Filip Forsberg -- Ryan O’Reilly -- Gustav Nyquist
Jason Zucker -- Colton Sissons -- Anthony Beauvillier
Mark Jankowski -- Tomas Novak -- Luke Evangelista
Cole Smith -- Michael McCarron -- Kiefer Sherwood
Ryan McDonagh -- Roman Josi
Jeremy Lauzon -- Alexandre Carrier
Spencer Stastney -- Luke Schenn
Kevin Lankinen
Juusse Saros
How To Watch:
Saturday night's game will air on MSGSN. On the radio, the game will air 88.7 FM WRHU, 98.7 ESPN and 103.9 LI News Radio