NASHVILLE, Tenn. — John Tavares scored his third goal of the season for the Islanders, but they were unable to hold a 2-1 lead in a 3-2 loss to the Predators on Saturday night.
It was the second-straight loss for the Islanders, who also lost by that same score to the Blackhawks on Friday.
Rookie Seth Jones opened the scoring with his first NHL goal 1:03 into the second period. Frans Nielsen and Tavares made it 2-1 Islanders, but Patric Hornqvist scored with 53 seconds left in the second period to tie the game, 2-2.
“That was a big goal for them, obviously, under a minute left to go in the second period,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said.
Ryan Ellis broke the deadlock in the third period with his first of the season.
The Islanders managed just five shots in the third. Right after Ellis’ goal, Nashville’s Matt Hendricks was assessed a double minor for high-sticking, giving the Islanders a four-minute power play.
“We had a 4-minute power play that didn’t generate much, which is not good enough,” Tavares said. “We have to find a way to get better in those areas at those times in the game.”
Nashville has won two of three. The Islanders were beaten for the third time in four games.
Pekka Rinne needed to make just 14 saves for the win. Evgeni Nabokov stopped 28 shots in the loss.
After a scoreless opening period, Jones gave the Predators a 1-0 lead at 1:03 of the second.
With Nashville on a power play, Shea Weber had the puck at the right point. Weber found David Legwand on the right boards, and Legwand slid a cross-ice pass to Jones at the top of the left circle. Jones took the puck and beat Nabokov on the short side with a slap shot.
The 19-year-old defenseman, who was the No. 4 four pick in this year’s NHL draft, was put on the left side of Nashville’s top defensive pairing alongside Weber. He took that spot after Roman Josi sustained a concussion just over a week earlier in a game at Colorado.