NY Islanders blow multiple leads in 4-3 final minutes loss to Nashville Predators

Roman Josi scored with 1:14 remaining to lift the Nashville Predators to a 4–3 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday night, snapping Nashville’s three-game losing streak.

Josi’s decisive goal was historic. The Predators captain carried the puck into the Islanders’ zone, pulled up along the left side, and snapped a shot over the glove of Ilya Sorokin to become the first defenseman in franchise history to reach 200 NHL goals.

Filip Forsberg scored twice for Nashville, while Matthew Wood added a goal and an assist. Juuse Saros stopped 27 shots, including a point-blank save on Emil Heineman in the final seconds to preserve the win.

The Islanders saw their three-game winning streak come to an end despite a strong offensive start. Mathew Barzal finished with a goal and an assist, while Matthew Schaefer and Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored. Sorokin made 38 saves in the loss.

“They know they’re playing down most of the night, and when you’re down you change your style a little bit,” Barzal said. “We had tough time with our pressure tonight, that’s what it came down to. Their forecheck, we had a tough time breaking the puck out. Can’t give up that many shots, Sorokin kept us in there. It’s a really tough loss.

The Isles jumped out to a 2–0 lead early in the first period. Barzal opened the scoring, and Schaefer followed 4:27 later to put the Islanders firmly in control less than six minutes into the game.

Nashville responded quickly. Forsberg got the Predators on the board with a power-play goal, and Wood capitalized on an Islanders turnover 2:54 later to tie the game 2–2 with 6:07 remaining in the opening period.

Pageau restored New York’s lead at 7:21 of the second period, burying his own rebound, but Forsberg answered again later in the frame with his second goal of the night to even the score at 3–3.

The Isles next play the Capitals on the road in DC on Monday night.