Islanders surrender go-ahead goal in final seconds, fall to Predators, 4-3

NEW YORK (AP) — Eeli Tolvanen scored with 11.5 seconds left to cap the Nashville Predators’ third-period rally for a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

The Islanders led 3-2 after Noah Dobson’s goal early in the third, but Nashville rallied to keep New York winless in seven games at its new arena.

Nashville’s Yakov Trenin tied it with 7:29 left, and Tolvanen tipped a shot from the point past Semyon Varlamov.

The Islanders are 0-5-2 at UBS Arena, which opened with much fanfare late last month. It is the first time in NHL history a team has gone winless in its first seven games in a new venue.

Varlamov stopped 25 shots but remained winless too, falling to 0-5-1.

David Rittich made 18 saves for Nashville, which has won three straight and four of five. The Predators also won the first meeting between the teams this season, 3-2.

Dobson put the Islanders ahead 3-2 at 5:08 of the third when his shot from the right point through traffic eluded Rittich, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Andy Greene and Ross Johnston assisted.

Trenin tied it by poking the puck past Varlamov for his fourth goal this season.

Rittich stopped Cal Clutterbuck with a close-in shot with two minutes left in the third, before Tolvanen sent the visitors away victorious.

Islanders forward Austin Czarnik opened the scoring at 6:48 of the first with his first of the season. Czarnik beat Rittich with a short-side shot. The goal was Czarnik’s first as an Islander.

Nashville’s Ryan Johansen tied it at 17:28 of the first, beating Varlamov for his eighth goal of the season. Johansen, who also assisted on the winning goal along with Roman Josi, has 15 points — three goals and 12 assists — in his last 10 games.

Colton Sissons put Nashville ahead at 18:52 of the first with his third goal of the season.

The Predators outshot the Islanders 11-6 in the opening period. The Islanders have been outshot 86-49 in the first period of…