Predators Stifled by Islanders in 2-0 Shutout: 'It Was That Kind of Game'

The Nashville Predators missed an opportunity to inch closer to clinching a playoff berth Saturday, dropping a 2-0 decision to a desperate New York Islanders team fighting for its playoff life.

The Predators played well despite the result, outshooting New York 41-30 and keeping the Islanders confined to their defensive zone for much of the game. However, the Islanders blocked 33 shots in front of Semyon Varlamov, who made 40 saves for his 11th win and third shutout of the season.

"I think we played pretty good," defenseman Alexandre Carrier told Bally Sports South's Lyndsay Rowley after the game. "I thought we had a better level to our play after the first. I think we were a bit more desperate around their net after that, but they were desperate as well. They were blocking a lot of shots, they were being in front of their net and their goalie played super well, too. It was that kind of game."

After a scoreless first period, Noah Dobson scored with 10:53 remaining in the second period to put New York up 1-0. The Islanders preserved their one-goal lead by killing off back-to-back penalties in the third period, and their defense stifled the Predators' attack and kept them off the board.

Goaltender Kevin Lankinen gave the Predators a chance to win, coming up with several big saves during a tightly contested matchup. He allowed only Dobson's goal, as Kyle Palmieri scored into the empty net at 18:41 of the third period for the 2-0 final.

Nine out of 10 times, the Predators win a game the way they played Saturday. They stuck to their relentless identity, and there's not much more they could have done to get rewarded. Every once in a while, especially at this point in the season with Stanley Cup Playoffs just around the corner, teams are bound to run into a hot goalie – and Varlamov and the Islanders' defense were just too hot.

Despite the loss, Nashville’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth dropped to three after the St. Louis Blues lost in overtime to the San Jose Sharks. The Predators have a chance at redemption Sunday when they visit the New Jersey Devils for the second half of their back-to-back road set.

"Back-to-back's never easy," Carrier said. "You've got to take care of the puck, you've got to be simple, you've got to win your battles. It's always a grind on a back-to-back, so I think if we stay connected, we play together, we keep it simple, we work hard [and] go to the net like we did tonight, we'll be rewarded at some point."