NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Islanders finally have the defensive effort they've been searching for most of the season.
Then they wasted it.
On Saturday, their offense lost 3-1 to the Predators, extending a two-game winning streak the Islanders hope to break.
First, they have not beaten Nashville in 10 tries dating back to October 2017.
Second, it's been a month since he last won two in a row.
So, with 7.9 seconds left, we thank Alexandre Career for the game-winner.
You could say they're treading water, but that's still generous for a team that fell to 5-6-3 and lost two more points after all three games to the Hurricanes, Flyers, and Devils. right. The teams surrounding them in the Capital Region Division won on Saturday.
If the Islanders' defensive effort on Saturday is sustainable, that's a good sign.
However, the new line that led to a come-from-behind victory against Toronto on Thursday night with four goals didn't do much here in Nashville.
Both teams kept their opponents on the outside, limiting Grade A chances throughout the match.
Neither team could do anything on their respective power plays.
Of course, it doesn't hurt to have Juuse Saros and Ilya Sorokin in net, with both star netminders working hard on their game.
Scoreless hockey continued for 52 minutes until Jean-Gabriel Pageau finally broke the deadlock in the third period, redirecting Noah Dobson's shot from the right point and past Saros.
But instead of holding out for the final eight minutes and playing defense like they had all night, the Islanders immediately fought back and took a stumble penalty by Kyle Palmieri, which the Predators immediately took advantage of. Luke Evangelista tied the match. One is just before the penalty expires.
Then, just when it looked like the game was going to go into overtime, Carrier's bounced shot hit Scott Mayfield's stick and went into the net, resulting in a heartbreaking loss for the Islanders.
A goal was added on Jussi Parsinen's empty net before the buzzer sounded.
Even in a more open third period, neither team was able to force the opposing goaltender to work as hard.
In the first 10 minutes of the third, Nashville's Denis Gurianov twice lofted weak shots off breakaways and hit Sorokin in the chest.
And Matt Barzal didn't even force the save on Saros after Simon Holmstrom's cross-crease feed found Saros at the backdoor, instead heaving the puck high.
Despite having some chances early in the game, the Islanders outscored them by winning in shots and high-danger chances throughout the 40 minutes. But free ice is rare, so even those were modest.
Ironically, on the first night the Islanders faced Barry Trotz's new team, they played their most Trotz-like game of the season.
For a team that has been severely lacking defensively all year, the performances from Adam Pelech and Scott Mayfield were particularly positive, with both defensemen having their best games since recently returning from injuries.
But 42 games into the season and in the midst of playoff contention, there are no signs of hope for the Islanders.
And I have no intention of loosening up my schedule.
On paper, this represented one of the most winnable games of this four-game trip, and it showed on the ice.
In order for the Islanders to advance in the Central Division, they will need to overcome a series of tough games in Minnesota and Winnipeg and produce results.
In the meantime, feel free to toss this in the lost opportunity box.
