The Nashville Predators struggled against the New York Islanders in the first period of Thursday’s contest between the division leaders, but Filip Forsberg gave Nashville a reason to go into the intermission with a glimmer of hope.
Down 3-0 late in the first frame, Forsberg was persistent in his onslaught on goaltender Jaroslav Halak and eventually it paid off:
That was the 20-year-old rookie’s 20th goal and 51st point of the 2014-15 campaign. He’s got a comfortable lead in the rookie scoring race and is a favorite to win the Calder Trophy as a result.
Forsberg’s rise is one of the big reasons Nashville has a 39-12-6 this season as he’s helped boost the Predators’ offense after they were limited to 2.61 goals per game in 2013-14.