New York Islanders Lesson On Nasville Pradators

There are only a handful of games lefts on the season for the New York Islanders, yet they still haven’t played every team. The Nashville Predators are in town and we’ll get to figure the out for the first time.

This season hasn’t been a good one for whoever is responsible for the New York Islanders schedule. First, a bye-week between West coast travel dates, then a franchise record nine-game road trip, and now a team that the Isles haven’t seen yet in the already six-month season.

So what do we know about the Nashville Predators?

They’re currently third in the Central division with 87 points and a +17 goal differential. They also have a 6-2-2 record in their last ten games and are currently on a three-game winning streak.

More from Eyes On Isles

OK. Not great. Especially for the Islanders as they look to bounce back after a tough loss to the Boston Bruins just two nights ago. What else?

They have three players with at least 50 points in Ryan Johanssen, Viktor Arvidsson, and Filip Forsberg. That could be a bit problematic for the Isles. But after that, the Preds production starts to tail off. So scoring depth shouldn’t be a significant issue.

Their goaltender, Pekka Rinne, is fairing better than last season, but he’s still not putting up shining numbers. His .916 SV% and 2.48 GAA are low for his lofty standards.

Un-Special Specialty Teams

In terms of specialty teams, the Predators are like the Isles. Pretty good at one, but certainly not good at both.

The Isles have good penalty kill numbers, ranking 13th in the league with 81%. Although still well below 4th place ranking with 84.5% they put up last season. Their power play, ain’t nearly that efficient.

Must Read: Isles Have No Power On Power Play

With 32 goals on 209 opportunities, the Islanders rank 26th with a 14.5% efficiency. Going 0/6 against Boston didn’t help. They won’t catch Detroit at 12.4% for last place. But they could certainly hit the bottom three.

Unlike the Isles, the Predators have a good power play, ranked 11th with a 20.5% but have a bad penalty kill, ranked 20th at 80.3%. It’s the most unfortunate special teams matchup for the Isles.

So key to the game: keep it at 5-on-5 for as long as possible. That includes 5-on-4 situations. Unless! Unless, coach Doug Weight is ready to put Josh Ho-Sang on the first powerplay with Tavares.

Next: The Isles Aren't a Playoff Team

Where to Catch the Game:

Live: 7PM, Barclays Center
TV: MSG+
Radio: 660AM, 101.9FM – WFAN, 88.7FM – WRHU
Fubo Stream

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