Dunham Steals Win From Isles

The New York Islanders controlled the game. Mike Dunham stole it from them.

Dunham made 40 saves and Cliff Ronning and Sergei Krivokrasov scored goals to lead the Nashville Predators to a 2-1 victory against the Islanders on Friday night.

Dunham, the backup to Martin Brodeur in New Jersey for two seasons before becoming the first pick in the expansion draft, stopped 17 shots in the first period and 15 in the third as the Predators ended a four-game winless streak.

"Their goaltender outdueled our whole team, not just our goaltender," said Islanders coach Bill Stewart, whose team fell to 1-4-1 in its past six games despite outshooting Nashville 41-23.

"He was the difference tonight."

Dunham has been the Predators' best player this season, posting a 12-12-2 record on a team that is 10 games under .500. He is the main reason the first-year club is just five points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"He stole this game for us," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "The Islanders played better than we did, especially in the first period."

The Islanders had four power plays in the first period, but managed only one goal, Trevor Linden's one-timer of Craig Janney's pass at 9:40 during a two-man advantage.

"They threw everything at us in the first period," said Dunham. "We just weathered the storm."

The Predators had just killed the furth power play when Ronning tied the game by beating Felix Potvin with a 35-foot slap shot.

"That first goal shouldn't have gone in," said Potvin, who is 1-6-1 since being acquired from Toronto last month. "It seems like there's one tough one a game. It was disappointing tonight, especially with the effort we put in."

Nashville took the lead at 14:06 of the second period when Krivokrasov tipped Ronning's pass between Potvin's pads. It was Krivokrasov's 16th goal of the season, and fourth game-winner.

"I didn't know what Ronning was going to do, so I went to the net," said Krivokrasov. "I figured either he would pass or I'd get a rebound."

The rest of the night belonged to Dunham, who foiled defenseman Eric Brewer's screened slap shot five minutes into the third period and later robbed Mariusz Czerkawski, Barry Richter, Reichel and Linden to preserve the victory.

"I think we got a little nervous in the third period, playing with a one-goal lead on the road," said Dunham. "Most expansion teams would do that. This was a great win for our confidence."

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