Viktor Arvidsson of the Nashville Predators
Viktor Arvidsson scored twice, and the Nashville Predators defeated the New York Islanders, 4-3, on Saturday night at Barclays Center. It’s the second victory in as many tries for the Preds on the young season, and they’ll head back to Nashville after spoiling two separate home openers to start.
“[The Islanders] were fast and competitive right from the start, I thought our guys were the same and it turned out to be a good hockey game,” Predators Head Coach Peter Laviolette said. “We did a good job just coming off of that first one [against the Rangers]. It’s never easy on the home openers where we had to come in and face two of them, so it’s good to get out of here with the four points and go home.”
Less than four minutes into the contest, Arvidsson converted on an early candidate for goal-of-the-season as he drove to the net, fooled a defender by pulling the puck through his legs and beat Thomas Greiss five-hole for a 1-0 lead. After the Islanders got one back, Mattias Ekholm wristed home his first of the season to give Nashville the 2-1 advantage after 20 minutes.
New York evened the score again early in the second, Craig Smith snapped a shot into the twine, and then Arvidsson finished off a feed from Ryan Johansen for his second of the evening to give the Preds their first double-digit lead of the night.
Before the second was over, the Islanders cut Nashville’s lead to one, but a solid third period from the Preds, including a stellar first showing from goaltender Juuse Saros, was all Nashville needed to earn win number two.
“That’s what we were here for and we got two wins,” Ekholm said. “We’ve still got some defensive stuff that we can work on, but it’s nice to see the offense is there and we’re [coming out] on the right side of these tight games.”
It would have been exciting enough to open the home schedule on Tuesday night by raising a trio of banners regardless of the start to the new campaign – but to do so already possesing a perfect record makes it that much better.
And while it is still very early, the signs are already there as to how good this team is and can still become.
“It was a business trip from day one, and we got together and really got to know our team,” Smith said. “It was a good test, so it’s great for our team and we’re excited.”
“We were a little disappointed in the last two years how we started…and this was a much better way to do it,” Ekholm said. “It feels really good for your confidence to be up 2-0.”
Arvi, Arvi, Arvi:
On Opening Night, it was Filip Forsberg who put on a show. On Saturday, his linemate took a turn.
Viktor Arvidsson potted two of Nashville’s four goals on the night – including the game-winner in the second period – to help his club to a perfect record through two games.
His first strike of the evening was one of those classic Arvidsson jaw-droppers, and while his second likely won’t make as many highlight reels as the other, they both showed just how good the undersized, over-skilled winger has become.
“That’s his patented move now, I guess,” Ekholm said of his fellow Swede. “Teams have to pre-scout him on that. That’s a tough move to come by when your D is just thinking about getting a good gap on the shot and then when he goes to the outside, all kudos to him, it’s a really great move and you’ve got be on your toes if you want to be able to defend it.”
Arvidsson has pulled it off before, and just as he continues to dazzle at times, so do his linemates, Forsberg and Ryan Johansen, one of the more formidable trios in the League.
“The whole line was good,” Laviolette said. “Filip was strong, [Johansen] was really strong, they made some nice plays and they were just strong offensively out there tonight.”
Back to that first tally for a moment, to hear Arvidsson describe it, you may not know how special it was. But his celebrations continue to give him away, each one seemingly more joyful than the last – and well earned after that display of perfection.
“It was nice to see it go in,” Arvidsson said.
Indeed it was.
Notes:
Frederick Gaudreau and Anthony Bitetto both entered the Predators lineup on Saturday for the first time this season. Defensemen Dan Hamhuis and Matt Irwin, as well as forward Miikka Salomaki, were scratched.
An Island Park, New York, native, Bitetto recorded a secondary assist on Arvidsson’s second goal of the night.
Their first road trip of the season now complete, the Predators head back to Nashville to host their first homestand of the campaign, beginning with their home opener on Tuesday night against Calgary. The Preds will then welcome Winnipeg, the Islanders and Minnesota to town before the stretch concludes.
