ELMONT, Long Island — Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026
The Nashville Predators (24-23-6) skate into UBS Arena tonight to tangle with the New York Islanders (30-19-5) with 7 p.m. ET puck drop on ESPN+. Nashville pulls a modest road record (10-11-4) into this one, while the Islanders have been sharper at home and are winners of their last three games.
New York’s strengths show up in the numbers: the Isles score about 2.8 goals per game, allow 2.67 goals against, and are 21-2-3 when they hit at least three goals this season. Forward Bo Horvat leads the Islanders offensively, and recent acquisition Ondrej Palat delivered a goal and an assist in his debut, adding veteran pop up front.
Nashville’s season has been more up-and-down, with a negative scoring differential and 149 goals for versus 180 against. The Predators boast skill up front from Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos, and they hold the season series edge with a 2-1 shootout win in the first meeting.
Analytically, this could be a classic puck battle: the Islanders control the blue paint and limit opponents to fewer goals, while Nashville tries to nick chances on transition and special teams. Expect plenty of shots and tight defense — and if the Predators can keep the contest low-scoring, they’ve already shown they can steal one in a shootout.
Let’s just say the Islanders hope to ice this one early, and the Predators are just trying not to get iced on their trip north.
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