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Perfect No More
The Nashville Predators took to the road on Thursday night, facing off against the New York Islanders in Brooklyn. This was the first real test of the season for Nashville, whose first three opponents currently have a combined record of 0-9-0. The Predators easily disposed of those foes, outscoring them 7-2. On the other hand, the Islanders started off the season with two consecutive losses against the Chicago Blackhawks, but bounced back with an extremely impressive 4-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. The Isles would once again be without starting goaltender Jaroslav Halak, and would have to rely on Thomas Greiss. Greiss posted a .908 SV% in 20 appearances last season, with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It is widely known that the Predators boast one of the best goalies in Pekka Rinne, but he was not needed in the opening minutes of the game, as Nashville dominated the play and racked up nearly ten shots before the Islanders could even manage one. It took the Preds just two minutes to break through. Somehow, Austin Watson squeaked the puck past the goalie from a tight angle into the crease area, where Islanders defenseman Marek Zidlicky accidentally put the puck into his own net. The way in which the goal was scored may have been unlucky, but Nashville was by far the superior team early on, and deserved to be ahead.
The Preds put the puck on goal 17 times in the first period of play, but only had one goal to show for it. They put up 17 more in the second period, and went up 2-0 when a scramble in front of the goal ended with a Filip Forsberg tap-in. However, the Isles answered less than a minute later through Anders Lee, who capped off an excellent play by New York. The goal brought energy to the stadium, and enthusiasm to the players. The home team now had the momentum, and tied things up midway through the 2nd, thanks to a fantastic breakaway goal from Kyle Okposo:
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The Predators continued to be the more physical and attack-minded squad, but an absolutely stellar performance by Greiss prevented them from making this game a blowout. Unlike many expected, Nashville goalie Rinne seemed to be easily beaten at times, and struggled in his first true challenge of the 2015-16 campaign. The Isles had just 28 shots while allowing the Preds to earn a season-high 47. However, the Isles were focused on quality over quantity in this game, causing a higher percentage of their shots to find the back of the net.
Crowd Controlled
With the support of the crowd behind them, New York scored two goals in the span of five minutes, to take a 4-2 lead in the final period. The goal transformed a crowd that had been almost completely silent just a short time earlier into a roaring horde, that got louder with every bit of offense that their team displayed. However, an element of nervousness was sent throughout the stadium with just five minutes left, as James Neal deflected a shot by Forsberg into the goal. The Predators were within striking distance, and continued to add to their already immense number of shots in the final part of the game. Fortunately, they were unable to send the game to overtime, due to the outstanding performance by backup goalie Greiss, who stopped 44 of the 47 shots he faced.
Nashville was the far dominant team Thursday evening in Brooklyn, but a few unlucky bounces, and a poor goaltending display were the reasons behind their demoralizing 4-3 loss.
This defeat knocks the Predators out of the top spot in the Central division, while the 2-1-1 Islanders now have a great deal of confidence heading into a tough affair against the undefeated San Jose Sharks on Saturday.
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