Poulin has 32 saves, Islanders beat Predators 3-1

[November 13, 2013]  UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -- John Tavares, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Kyle Okposo scored and Kevin Poulin made 32 saves as the New York Islanders beat the Nashville Predators 3-1 Tuesday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

The 23-year-old Poulin was sharp throughout as the Islanders (7-9-3) played a strong game following a dismal road trip during which they lost four games without recording a point.

Predators right wing Patric Hornqvist ruined Poulin's shutout bid with his fifth goal of the season with 5:30 remaining.

Nashville (8-8-2) was playing the sixth game of a seven-stop road trip. The Predators lost 5-0 at both Winnipeg and New Jersey before visiting the Islanders. They conclude their journey at Pittsburgh on Friday.

Tavares opened the scoring with 4:30 left in the first period with a power-play goal, his eighth of the season. Tavares was alone in the slot when he took a pass from Frans Nielsen from along the left boards as Nashville's David Legwand served an elbowing penalty.

Tavares settled the puck before firing it past Predators goaltender Marek Mazanec, who was making his first NHL start. The 22-year-old netminder was recalled from Milwaukee of the AHL last week to back up Carter Hutton, already the backup to starter Pekka Rinne who is out with a lingering hip infection.

Bouchard scored his fourth of the season with 2:37 remaining in the first, also with an assist to Nielsen. Okposo increased the lead to 3-0 at 7:07 of the second, rifling a slap shot from the left circle past Mazanec for his sixth of the year.

The Islanders collectively lifted their game as they were missing high-scoring left wing Thomas Vanek for the second straight contest. New York acquired Vanek on Oct. 27 from Buffalo for popular winger Matt Moulson. Vanek suffered an upper body injury early in last Saturday's loss at Columbus.

New York beat Boston 3-1 in their previous home game on Nov. 2 -- when Vanek scored his first goal with the Islanders -- then lost at Washington, Carolina, Columbus and Montreal.

The contest was the second and final meeting this season between the teams. Nashville beat the Islanders 3-2 at home on Oct. 12.

NOTES: The Islanders continued to be without D Lubomir Visnovsky (concussion) and D Brian Strait (upper body). ... The Islanders are 7-1-2 when they score at least three goals. ... Nashville scratched C Mike Fisher (lower body) plus LW Gabriel Bourque and D Mattias Ekholm.

[Associated Press; By ALLAN KREDA]

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