NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson took advantage of some crisp passes by Ryan Johansen to help the Nashville Predators get another big win.
Forsberg scored twice, Arvidsson had a goal and an assist, and the Predators beat the New York Islanders 5-2 Saturday night.
Calle Jarnkrok and Kyle Turris also scored for Nashville, which has won four of its first five games. Juuse Saros stopped 20 shots to beat the Islanders for the second time in eight days.
The Predators scored three times in a 4 1/2-minute stretch late in the first period, and Johansen was in the middle of the latter two.
Forsberg pushed Nashville’s lead to 2-0 with 3:23 left. From the right faceoff dot, Johansen sent a pass to Forsberg in the low slot, where he beat Lehner high on the stick side.
“He’s a really big, strong guy,” Forsberg said of Johansen. “I remember playing against him and it’s impossible to knock him off the puck.”
Arvidsson made it 3-0 with 9.2 seconds remaining in the first. From the goal line to the right of the New York net, Johansen made a one-handed pass to Arvidsson in the right circle, where he beat Lehner with a one-timer high to the far side.
“I saw Joey beat his guy and I just tried to find that open space in the slot,” Arvidsson said. “He managed to get it to me and I ripped it as hard as I could and it went in.”
The Predators outshot the Islanders 16-4 in the opening 20 minutes.
“They were outshooting us but they really weren’t getting anything for about the first 10 minutes,” New York coach Barry Trotz said. “Then we started turning pucks over and then it was a free for all.”
Jarnkrok got the game’s first score with 4:35 left. Nick Bonino carried the puck along the right side and stickhandled along the goal line toward the New York net. The puck slipped off of his stick, but right to Jarnkrok in front, where he had an easy tap-in for his first of the season.
Brock Nelson and Andrew Ladd scored for New York, which lost 4-3 at home to the Predators last Saturday night. Robin Lehner finished with 24 saves.
Nelson got New York on the scoreboard at 6:14 of the second. From the right boards, Anders Lee sent a pass to Nelson in the slot, where he beat Saros with a low wrist shot for his 100th career goal.
Ladd pulled the Islanders to 3-2 with just under 8 minutes left in the second as he took a pass from Mathew Barzal in the left circle and beat Saros with a wrist shot.
The Predators then pulled away and sealed the win in the third.
“The response after the second period was very good,” Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. “We came out, we played a much tighter game, a better brand of hockey that can find us success.”
Turris made it 4-2 at 4:32 of the third on the power play, the team’s first man-advantage goal of the season. Nashville entered Saturday 0 for 15 on the power play.
“I had some good saves in the second,” Lehner said. “We had a little breakdown and they score to kind of end the game there on the PP late. I want to be better.”
Forsberg added an empty-netter with 1 minute remaining to cap the scoring.
NOTES: Nashville has scored first in four of their five games and won all four. … Predators D Dan Hamhuis picked up an assist in the game, his first point in his second stint in Nashville. … Barzal, the reigning Calder Trophy winner, has at least one point in each of the Islanders’ four games this season.
UP NEXT:
Islanders: At Anaheim on Wednesday night.
Predators: Host Minnesota on Monday night.
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