Islanders Outlast Predators in Shootout to Snap Long Nashville Skid
The New York Islanders needed every bit of a fast start and some late composure in Tennessee on Tuesday night, ultimately skating away with a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat delivered in the shootout, while goaltender Semyon Varlamov slammed the door on both Nashville attempts to seal the win.
New York hadn’t won an away game against the Predators since October 28, 2017.
Building a Comfortable Lead Before the Collapse
Things looked entirely different in the opening twenty minutes. New York led 3-0 early in the second period before the Predators drew even. Anthony Duclair opened the scoring at 3:07 of the first period, and Brayden Schenn doubled the lead at 8:07. That milestone tally marked the 300th career goal of Schenn’s career.
Horvat extended the visitors’ advantage to three goals just 1:08 into the middle frame, burying a sharp one-timer off a cross-ice feed from Matthew Schaefer. With that helper, Schaefer extended his personal scoring streak to five straight games.
Nashville Roars Back With Special Teams and Gritty Play
Filip Forsberg ignited the comeback at 9:42 of the second period with a power-play marker. After struggling with just one goal through the first 10 games of the season, the franchise’s career goals leader found his rhythm with goals in consecutive outings.
Alexander Kerfoot sliced the deficit to a single goal at 13:02 of the second, sweeping home a rebound generated by a shot from Nils Hoglander. Momentum fully shifted into the home team’s corner when Ryan O’Reilly tied the contest 4:16 into the third period by jamming home a loose puck sitting right in the crease. O’Reilly’s tally marked his third goal in his last two appearances.
Settled in the Skills Competition
With regulation and overtime solving nothing, the game shifted to a shootout. Varlamov, who turned aside 20 shots during regulation and overtime, shut down the Nashville attack once more. His performance in the tiebreaker secured his first individual win since November 14, 2024.
The result dropped Nashville to 0-5 in games extending beyond regulation this season. Looking ahead to the immediate schedule, the Islanders travel to face Minnesota on Thursday, while the Predators return home to host Washington on the same night.
