Beside The Point

Isles road trip starts with shootout loss in Nashville

Good Morning, Islanders Country.

As expected, Thursday night in Nashville looked nothing like the euphoric everything-we-shoot-goes-in party the Islanders and their fans just finished sweeping up from two nights earlier at UBS Arena. That was a carnival. This was something else entirely.

This one was tight. Edgy. A little spicy.

And maybe most importantly, it was the kind of game that told you the Islanders didn’t show up with a hangover from history.

The game after a blowout is always the trap. Lose focus for five minutes and the whole thing unravels. Instead, the Islanders met the challenge head-on, played with structure, and once again didn’t allow a goal at even strength. That matters — especially for a team still defining who it really is.

The goaltending, this time from David Rittich, was rock solid again. Calm. Square. Unbothered by the building or the moment. But one defensive lapse — one — turned into a short-handed goal, the fifth time that’s happened this season, and suddenly an Isles lead became a tie heading into the third.

In that third, the Islanders did something they don’t often do in Music City: they held on. They didn’t panic. They didn’t let the building tilt the ice. They earned a road point in a rink where points usually slip through their fingers.

Overtime was wide open, and Matthew Schaefer had the best look — a rare moment where the puck didn’t choose legend — and for once, the book didn’t add a new chapter. The Islanders still haven’t lost in overtime this season, but the shootout, though, followed a familiar script. Juuse Saros was excellent all night and ended up one save better than Rittich.

The Islanders are now 0-4-3 in their last seven trips to Nashville.

And yet, they leave feeling better than they usually do.

Next stop, Minnesota.

Game Recap

Filip Forsberg scored the lone goal in the shootout as the Nashville Predators edged the New York Islanders 2-1 on Thursday night.

Ryan O’Reilly tied the game with a short-handed goal late in the second period, and Juuse Saros finished with 30 saves in regulation and overtime before stopping all three Islanders attempts in the shootout. Nashville improved to 3-0 in shootouts this season, all with Saros in net.

Simon Holmstrom gave New York a 1-0 lead midway through the second period when he finished a feed from Scott Mayfield at the right post for his second goal in as many games. Mathew Barzal also assisted, extending his point streak to three games. O’Reilly tied it with 40.3 seconds remaining in the period, converting a rush while the Islanders were on the power play. David Rittich made 26 saves for New York.

The Islanders nearly won it in overtime, but Saros denied rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer in the final seconds. Forsberg then sealed the win with a forehand-to-backhand move in the shootout.

GameScore Impact Card

⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders move on to Minnesota for the next game of their road trip for a Saturday night game against the Wild. Face-off is set for 8:00 PM.

📊 STANDINGS

Midseason Availability

General Manager Mathieu Darche met the media for midseason availability on Thursday and broke the news that Bo Horvat was remaining on Long Island to continue treatment for a lower-body injury. Darche explained that staying home allows Horvat to rehab more efficiently, with the hope that he’ll rejoin the team later on the trip. “I definitely expect him back way before the Olympic break,” Darche said, adding that a return near the end of the trip is possible but not something the team will rush. Horvat, who leads the Islanders with 21 goals and ranks second with 33 points, previously missed time in December with an injury in a similar area. Darche emphasized that the current issue is unrelated and not the result of coming back too soon.

Injury Updates

There was also an update on Semyon Varlamov, who continues skating at Northwell Health Ice Center. While his workload is increasing — including more drops and movement drills — Darche cautioned that the injury remains unpredictable with no clear timetable. Defenseman Alexander Romanov is progressing well after shoulder surgery in November. Though still without a firm return date, Darche said there is a “chance” Romanov could be available for the playoffs if the Islanders qualify.

Contract questions around Anders Lee and JG Pageau, both in the final year of their deals, remain unresolved. Darche reiterated that discussions will come later, noting he’s pleased with both players and their leadership. From a big-picture standpoint, Darche likes where the Islanders sit. New York is second in the Metropolitan Division with 52 points, but the margin is slim. “You win three in a row, you’re in first place. You lose three, you might be out,” Darche said.

Finally, Darche praised rookie Matthew Schaefer, joking that his season has been “adequate,” before calling his progression outstanding and highlighting his work ethic and continued growth.

📚 SOUND SMART: Per Eric Hornick in The Skinny, The Isles blocked a season-high 23 shots and have not allowed a goal in their 13 overtime periods this season, outshooting opponents by a 33-19 margin. The nine Islander shootouts this season are the most in the NHL and the most they had since 2018-19, when they went 5-5 in ten shootouts.

🎥 ISLES REWIND: On Jan. 9, 2007, Mike Sillinger scored his second goal of the game 27 seconds after Viktor Kozlov snapped a third-period tie, and the Islanders broke a six-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Rangers at MSG.

The win was the Isles’ third win of the season at MSG and was the first time defeating the Rangers three times on the road in the same season. “For whatever reason, we seem to play really well here,” Sillinger said. “Both teams played with a lot of intensity ... we just found a way to score some goals.”

📺 Up The Turnpike: Mathieu Darche Speaks on Lee and Pageau's Future

🔗 How this Islanders goal-fest evoked one of the franchise’s tastiest nights by Ethan Sears, New York Post “Nov. 13, 1979 was, maybe, one of the only days of the pre-Internet era when that would have been easier than it is now, because, famously, a Wendy’s executive already was in attendance at Nassau Coliseum that night to watch the Rangers face the Islanders. So, when an existing promotion — free chili at Wendy’s if the Islanders scored six or more goals — needed some amending, things were almost comically simple.”

🔗 Islanders GM Mathieu Darche explains why Bo Horvat isn’t on this road trip yet by Andrew Gross, Newsday “In a change of plans, Bo Horvat did not accompany the Islanders for the start of their seven-game road trip. General manager Mathieu Darche hopes the top-line center will join the team before the trek ends on Jan. 21 and expects Horvat, selected to Team Canada, to play “way before” next month’s Olympic break.”

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And we leave you with this…Patrick Kane scored his 500th goal last name - an empty netter, here’s Mike Bossy doing the same in 1986.

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