Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin gets empty-net goal in 7-4 victory over Predators

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin was credited with his first career goal when Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos sent a pass into his own net in the final seconds of New York's 7-4 victory on Saturday.

Brock Nelson had two goals and an assist for the Islanders in their second straight win. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Kyle Palmieri, Bo Horvat and Casey Cizikas also scored, and Adam Boqvist and Simon Holmstrom each had two assists.

Sorokin stopped 23 shots. He made a save right before Stamkos' errant pass went into Nashville's empty net with 12 seconds left.

Cole Smith had two goals for the Predators in their third loss in four games. Marc Del Gaizo and Colton Sissons also scored, and Juuse Saros stopped 30 shots.

Nelson's short-handed goal gave New York a 4-1 lead 2:38 into the second period. He added his 19th goal at 16:21.

Takeaways

Predators: Forward Gustav Nyquist was traded to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft. In addition, the Predators will retain 50% of Nyquist's salary.

Islanders: Nelson could be one of the top names on the market if he is made available ahead of the March 7 trade deadline. The Islanders are not currently in the Eastern Conference playoff conversation.

Key moment

Horvat buried a rebound in the final minute of the first period after a costly Nashville turnover. The Islanders outshot the Predators 19-3 and led 3-0 at the end of the first.

Key stat

The Islanders improved to 14-5-4 when scoring the opening goal.

Up next

The Predators continue a three-game trip, visiting the New York Rangers on Sunday. The Islanders visit the Rangers on Monday night.

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