Predators stay in third, deny Isles chance to move up
NEW YORK -- Kevin Fiala scored in the first period and Viktor Arvidsson scored in the second period Monday night as the Nashville Predators ensured they would remain in third place in the Central Division by edging the New York Islanders 3-1 at Barclays Center.
Ryan Johansen added an empty-netter with 20.5 seconds left as the Predators (39-25-11) won their fourth straight and prevailed for the seventh time in eight games (7-1-0). Nashville will remain at least one point ahead of the St. Louis Blues, who played the Arizona Coyotes on Monday night, in the race for third in the Central.
Goalie Juuse Saros had 24 saves for the Predators.
Josh Bailey scored in the second period for the Islanders (35-28-12), who lost their second straight and missed a chance to tie the idle Boston Bruins for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Bruins, who beat the Islanders 2-1 on Saturday, host the Predators on Tuesday night.
Goalie Thomas Greiss made 28 saves for the Islanders, who have lost all five home games (0-4-1) since returning from a franchise-record nine-game road trip on March 13.
The Predators appeared to take a 1-0 lead about nine minutes after faceoff when Ryan Ellis' shot ticked off the stick of Nick Leddy and past Greiss. But the Islanders challenged the goal, which was overturned when a replay showed Fiala was offside.
Fiala didn't wait long to redeem himself. The left winger capped an end-to-end rush by the Predators by firing a shot past the outstretched stick of Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech and under Greiss' stick arm with 9:43 left in the period.
The Predators doubled the lead 3:15 into the second, when Filip Forsberg's pass from the right faceoff circle deflected off Arvidsson, who was stationed in the crease between Islanders defenseman Calvin de Haan and Greiss, and into the net. The goal was upheld after a replay showed Arvidsson did not kick the puck past Greiss.
The Islanders pulled within 2-1 with 2:40 left in the period when Bailey got a stick on Leddy's shot. The redirected puck then went under the legs of Predators defenseman Matt Irwin and past Saros' stick.
NOTES: The Islanders scratched D Johnny Boychuk (lower body), LW Nikolay Kulemin (upper body) and C Ryan Strome (broken wrist) as well as G Jean-Francois Berube, D Scott Mayfield and C Shane Prince. ... The Predators scratched C Mike Fisher (lower body), who didn't travel with the team for its brief two-game, two-day road trip, and D Yannick Weber (lower body) as well as D Brad Hunt, RW PA Parenteau and LW Harry Zolnierczyk. ... The Islanders and Predators were the only NHL teams not to face each other before Monday. They conclude the season series next Tuesday in Nashville.