Game Preview: Islanders at Predators

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (5-4-2) AT NASHVILLE PREDATORS (4-3-4) 

8 P.M. | BRIDGESTONE ARENA  

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The New York Islanders are back in action on Tuesday for their first meeting of the season against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena at 8 p.m.

The Isles had their five-game point streak snapped on Sunday in a 6-3 loss to the Dallas Stars. The Islanders evened the score three times with goals from Matthew Schaefer, Kyle Palmieri and Brayden Schenn, but the Stars scored three unanswered in the third period.

Read the takeaways from Sunday’s game here  

It was the third multi-point performance of the season for Bo Horvat who had a pair of assists against the Stars. Horvat leads the Isles in goals (5), points (12) and has five points over his last four games.

Schenn and Emil Heineman – who registered a secondary assist – extended their point streaks to three games while Schaefer has a point in each of the last four contests.  

The matchup with the Predators is part of a four games in six nights stretch for the Isles.  

Read more details about Maccelli and Ritchie here 

The Predators lost five of their previous six games prior to their impressive 6-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.  

Nashville scored four power-play goals against the Avs as Ryan O’Reilly recorded four points (2G, 2A), Steven Stamkos had a pair of goals and Filip Forsberg had three points (1G, 2A).

PROJECTED LINEUP  

The Islanders held practice at Bridgestone Arena on Monday and the forward lines remained the same from the matchup against the Stars. Here’s how they lined up: 

Simon Holmström – Bo Horvat – Kyle Palmieri  

Emil Heineman – Brayden Schenn – Victor Eklund  

Ondřej Palát – JG Pageau – Anthony Duclair  

Kyle MacLean – Casey Cizikas – Mitchell Chaffee 

The defensemen were rotated during Monday’s practice and Head Coach Pete DeBoer didn’t commit to any pairings. Stay tuned for updates following Tuesday’s morning skate for full lines. Here’s how the defensive pairs looked against Dallas:  

Logan Stanley – Matthew Schaefer  

Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock  

Matt Kessel – Tony DeAngelo  

Extra: Scott Mayfield

SCHAEFER SHATTERING RECORDS  

Schaefer’s sensational start to his sophomore season continued on Sunday against the Stars with a first-period goal that doubled as the 25th of his career. Schaefer is now second all-time in goals by a teenage defenseman in NHL history after passing Bobby Orr.  

Schaefer’s 25 goals moved him past John Tavares and Tim Connolly for third in goals by an Isles teenager.   

Schaefer has 69 career points which is seventh-most by a teenage defenseman in NHL history. He’s one point away from matching Scott Stevens for sixth. 

The 19-year-old blueliner has been a workhorse for DeBoer this season and is fourth in the NHL averaging 26:13 time-on-ice per game. Schaefer has played at least 20:00 in 81 consecutive games.  

Schaefer has 10 points (2G, 8A) in 11 games with a four-game point streak and a goal in back-to-back contests.  

“His whole game is at another level,” DeBoer said. “He’s physically stronger, he’s even more assertive than he was last year, he’s got great attention to detail defensively. I think every part of his game is better than it was a year ago and the scary part is he’s got more levels to go to here; he’s not 25 he’s only 19.” 

SCOUTING THE PREDATORS 

The Predators veteran group continues to produce at a high level with Stamkos – who has 631 career goals – leading the team in goals (7) and points (14).  

O’Reilly – who’s in his 18th NHL season – has 12 points (6G, 6A) in 11 games, 16-year veteran Roman Josi has 11 assists and Forsberg, who’s spent all 15 years of his career with Nashville, has 11 points (2G, 9A). 

After Barry Trotz transitioned from his general manager role to an advisor position, the Predators hired Stanley Cup winning GM Chris MacFarland from the Colorado Avalanche in June.  

MacFarland was aggressive in his first offseason, acquiring Mavrik Bourque from the Dallas Stars. Bourque has returned to the lineup after missing four games due to an upper-body injury and has two assists in seven games.  

MacFarland also dealt 24-year-old Luke Evangelista to the New Jersey Devils for multiple 2028 NHL Draft picks. 

The Predators have been an elite special teams group thus far and have a power play that’s third in the NHL at 33.3 percent. Meanwhile, Nashville’s penalty kill is fifth in the NHL at 85.7 percent.  

Goaltender Justus Annunen made his second start of the season against the Avalanche on Sunday, indicating Juuse Saros (3-2-3, 2.82 GAA, .908 SV%) is likely to start against the Isles.