NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Matthew Schaefer, already with two overtime goals in his first 43 NHL games, had a chance for a third with the puck on his stick as he found himself wide open in the slot with 20 seconds left in the extra period.
But goalie Juuse Saros’ spectacular glove save turned it into a missed opportunity for the 18-year-old, one of several for the Islanders as they dropped a 2-1 shootout to the Predators on Thursday night to open a seven-game road trip.
“I was just trying the same thing I did against the Leafs,” Schaefer said of his glove-side overtime goal in Saturday’s 4-3 win over Toronto. “I think I had a little bit more time. I could have walked in and maybe done a little better.”
The Islanders’ losing streak at Bridgestone Arena grew to seven games; they have not won in the building since Oct. 28, 2017.
Both teams played a stingy, fast-paced game with some snarl. The Islanders (24-15-5) blocked 23 shots and got 26 saves from David Rittich to remain in second place in the Metropolitan Division.
“I’m happy that we’ve put ourselves in a position to fight and be in the playoffs,” general manager Mathieu Darche said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done, but our goal is to make the playoffs. I like the vibe around our team. We’re going in the right direction.”
Filip Forsberg, who lifted a backhander just under the crossbar, scored the lone goal in the shootout for the Predators (20-19-4). Saros (30 saves) stopped Mathew Barzal, Simon Holmstrom and Emil Heineman. Saros also made a pad save on Schaefer’s one-timer from the slot late in the first period.
“I don’t think you can get frustrated. I don’t think that’s good for the group,” defenseman Ryan Pulock said. “It was pretty tight both ways. We had a few looks. We weren’t able to capitalize on those. It’s a 1-1 road game. You go to overtime and you try to get that extra point. We knew we want to create more offense.”
The Islanders went 0-for-2 on the power play and allowed Ryan O’Reilly’s goal off a shorthanded rush to tie it at 1-1 with 40.3 seconds left in the second period. Holmstrom, off defenseman Scott Mayfield’s feed as he circled behind the crease, opened the scoring at 12:14 of the second period.
The Islanders were coming off a 9-0 win over the Devils at UBS Arena that still left them feeling they could play better, particularly with their breakouts from the defensive zone and sustaining possession time in the offensive zone.
There still was the same sense after their winning streak was snapped at two games.
“In the first [period] we were let’s say 50-50 happy about it,” coach Patrick Roy said. “I thought the moment that we didn’t do a good job breaking out, that was their best moment offensively. We just need to continue to do a better job and work at it.”
The Islanders have not won in regulation on the road since Dec. 6.
“It was kind of a goaltending duel at times tonight and [Rittich] stood really tall,” Anders Lee said. “It’s a shootout goal away from a change of a point, so let’s take it for what it is. Take the point and be better in a couple of days.”
The trip continues on Saturday night against the Wild.
Lee, a Minnesotan who always relishes playing at home, was in the middle of what the Islanders considered a missed opportunity at 6:08 of the third period. He made contact with Saros as he skated across the crease just as defenseman Tony DeAngelo’s shot was coming in from the blue line.
The goalie went down with the puck still alive and Lee at the post with a chance, but play was stopped as the referees lost sight of the puck. A scrum ensued off the scramble, with Saros briefly going after Adam Pelech, who deposited the puck in the net after the whistle blew.
“I thought it was the right call on the ice,” Roy said. “I was just disappointed they blew the whistle because that would have been a goal, but I think the referee lost the puck, and that’s what happens when they lose the puck. They blow the whistle.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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