Islanders get off to quick start and dominate Predators

Brock Nelson simultaneously made himself even more attractive to another playoff contender as a rental while showing the Islanders exactly how much they’ll lose if they deal him away before Friday’s NHL trade deadline.

The pending unrestricted free agent scored twice, including a shorthanded goal, as the Islanders dominated the Predators 7-4 in a Saturday matinee at UBS Arena for their second straight win.

Ilya Sorokin stopped 24 shots for the Islanders (27-25-7), who reached their season high for goals. Sorokin was also credited with an empty net goal.  The Islanders scored both a power-play and a shorthanded goal for just the second time this season, the first time being their season opener.

Juuse Saros made 30 saves for the Predators (21-31-7), who are in a 3-9-0 tailspin and played without top defenseman Roman Josi (upper body) and with Gustav Nyquist withheld from the lineup as his trade to the Wild becoming official in the third period.

Not surprisingly, the Islanders made it a lopsided first period, outshooting the Predators 19-3 to take a 3-0 lead.

Hudson Fasching’s strong work in the neutral zone led to Casey Cizikas finding Jean-Gabriel Pageau from behind the crease for a 1-0 lead at 2:37. Kyle Palmieri backhanded in a power-play goal at 12:27—  just 10 seconds after defenseman Andreas Englund cross checked Cizikas — for the Islanders’ first goal on the man advantage in seven games. Bo Horvat, knocking in the juicy rebound of Anders Lee’s  shot, upped it to 3-0 with 29 seconds left.

Nelson scored twice in the second period, connecting on Simon Holmstrom’s shorthanded feed to make it 4-1 at 2:38 after Colton Sissons got past defenseman Alexander Romanov up ice for the Predators’ first goal at 1:03.

Nelson, in the right circle, then took Romanov’s feed from the left point to make it 5-2 at 16:21 — the goal withstanding a challenge for goalie interference — after Predators defenseman Marc Del Gaizo scored his first career goal at 4:58.

Nelson, in the final season of a six-year, $36 million deal, extended his point streak to five games (three goals, four assists). He has 19 goals and 21 assists in 59 games and is expected to play career game No. 900 against the Rangers on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.

Cizikas, working at the crease, extended the lead to 6-2 at 5:21 of the third period, though Cole Smith scored for the Predators 30 seconds later. Cole then scored on a power play   at 18:55.

   Sorokin was credited with the game’s final goal as the last Islander to touch the puck when Steven Stamkos’ pass for Brady Skjei  eluded him and with the goaltender pulled in the closing seconds the puck went the length of the ice and into the net.