NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Changes were clearly needed. The Islanders had bumbled their way through a first period in which the Predators outskated and outclassed them.
So, coach Barry Trotz altered both his forward lines and defense pairs with immediate results.
But the in-game improvements weren’t nearly enough as the Islanders opened a four-game road trip with a 5-2 loss on Saturday night at Bridgestone Arena.
Robin Lehner, making his second straight start, stopped 24 shots for the Islanders (2-2-0) while Juuse Saros made 20 saves for the Predators (4-1-0) after stopping 26 shots in a 4-3 win at Barclays Center on Oct.