Postgame Notebook: Predators 5, Islanders 2

An early hole proved too deep to climb out of on Saturday night, as the New York Islanders dropped a 5-2 decision to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
Brock Nelson and Andrew Ladd scored for the Islanders, while Calle Jarnkrok, Filip Forsberg (2G), Viktor Arvidsson and Kyle Turris scored for the Predators. Robin Lehner stopped 24-of-28, while Juuse Saros made 20 saves for his second win over the Islanders this season.

SLOW START SINKS ISLES:

Head Coach Barry Trotz warned of Nashville's quick strike ability before Saturday's game - and the Islanders saw it first hand in the first period.
The Predators jumped out to a 3-0 lead, scoring all three goals in the final five minutes of a one-sided first period that saw the Isles get outshot 16-4.
"We dug ourselves a pretty big hole there in the first period," Andrew Ladd said. "We fed their transition game a little bit and they had some nice plays off the rush and made us play. We responded well in the second, but you can't spot a team like that three goals."
Jarnkrok and Forsberg scored on consecutive shots 1:08 apart to put Nashville up 2-0. Lehner was hardly at fault on the two goals, both coming off odd-man rushes that ended in cross-ice plays in tight. Arvidsson, who scored a pair of goals against the Isles last Saturday in Brooklyn, made it 3-0 with a rifle with 10 seconds to play in the period.
"We started turning pucks over and it was a free-for-all," Trotz said. "We gave up that third one right at the end of the period and that was one that really hurt."

Trotz said the Islanders returned to the program in the second period and his team used an inspired middle frame to cut the deficit to 3-2. Nelson put the Islanders on the board with his 100th career goal, sliding an Anders Lee feed through Juuse Saros' five-hole at 6:14. Ladd made it a one-goal game with his first of the season at 12:02.
A return to the program was only part of the changes in the second period, as Trotz tinkered with his lines and d-pairs. Ladd joined Mathew Barzal and Josh Bailey and the Isles got a quick return, with Barzal setting up Ladd from below the goal line. Anthony Beauvillier was part of a new-look third line with Valtteri Filppula and Cal Clutterbuck.
"We'll have to re-evaluate our lines, I didn't think we had enough guys going," Trotz said. "At the end of the day their top guys got all the goals and we just need to manage the puck better."
Trotz also split up the Ryan Pulock-Adam Pelech defense pairing, playing Pulock with Nick Leddy and Pelech with Johnny Boychuk.
The Islanders were unable to complete the comeback, as Kyle Turris extended the Predators lead to 4-2 with a power-play goal in the third period. Turris' tally was the first power-play goal allowed by the Islanders this season. Forsberg iced the game with an empty-netter.

NELSON SCORES 100TH GOAL:

Brock Nelson netted his 100th career NHL goal on Saturday night, beating Juuse Saros five-hole at 6:11 of the second period.
Nelson's 100th career goal - all with the Islanders - doubled as his first of the season.
"Maybe later on I'll look back and think more positively on it," Nelson said of hitting the century mark. "Obviously it's tough with a loss, but whenever you're able to contribute and hit milestones like that whether it's games played or goals, it's special. Something you'll look back on later on."

LADD MAKES SEASON DEBUT:

Andrew Ladd made the most of his season debut, finding the back of the net in his first game of the 2018-19 season.
Ladd snapped a Mathew Barzal feed far side past Juuse Saros in the second period, after Barzal drew some attention from the Predators defensemen with some slick stickhandling.
"I felt okay," Ladd said. "I was just trying to get up to speed and realizing how much time and space you have to make plays and feel comfortable doing that. I'll try to build on this one and feel more comfortable as it goes."

ISLANDERS LINES:

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders are off until Wednesday night, when they take on the Anaheim Ducks in the first half of back-to-back games in Southern California.