Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers Move On After Loss, Play Islanders Tonight
Fresh off Saturday’s loss in Montreal, the Florida Panthers visit Long Island tonight for their second matchup of the season with the Islanders.
Florida is 6-3-0 in the second half of back-to-backs this season.
If the Islanders sustain any late-season rally, they could possibly meet the Panthers in the opening round of the playoffs.
More than likely, the Islanders would really need a late season push to slip in to the playoffs and likely face the Capitals.
After tonight, the Panthers — who lost 3-1 on Saturday night — have an unprecedented three days off between road games before they visit Columbus on Thursday.
They will at least get to come home on Monday and spend a few days in South Florida before heading north again.
This is the third and final meeting of the season between the Panthers and Islanders.
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The Panthers won the first two games against the Islanders with 6-3 victories; one was at home, the other on Long Island.
Although the Islanders have struggled this season, they have had their moments.
Friday, the Islanders lost 2-1 in overtime to Edmonton, playing a pretty strong game throughout.
Ilya Sorokin made 33 saves.
“I thought we did a lot of good things,” coach Patrick Roy said, “and I was pretty proud of our group.”
The Islanders are, however, on a three-game losing streak and have lost eight of the past 12.
Shortly before that, they won seven straight.
The Islanders have suffered their share of injuries.
Top scorer Mathew Barzal and goalie Semyon Varlemov are still on LTIR.
The bulk of the goaltending has gone to Sorokin, who sports a commendable .906 save percentage and 2.77 GAA despite being on a mediocre team.
Former Ottawa backup Marcus Hogberg has filled in admirably as Sorokin’s backup since Varlemov’s injury with a 1.70/.938 in eight appearances.
Former Panther Anthony Duclair missed 29 games earlier this year due to what is believed to be a leg injury.
He is having a rough season after signing a four-year, $14 million contract in the off-season.
Roy even made him a healthy scratch for a game recently.
The Islanders are mid-pack in defense but close to the bottom offensively. They only scored a total of three goals in the past three games.
Bo Horvat has 21 goals, but his productivity is well below his average of recent seasons.
Anders Lee is the team leader, with 25 goals, consistent with recent seasons.
Kyle Palmieri, at age 34, is still productive, with 20 goals.
The Islanders were active at the trade deadline.
Most of the transactions were at the minor league level, with the exception being longtime Islander Brock Nelson traded to Colorado.
Nelson, who had 30-plus goals in the last three seasons and had 20 when traded, will be UFA after the season.
The Islanders’ defense corps features former Panthers Mike Reilly and Adam Boqvist.
Reilly missed most of the season, first with a concussion and then for a heart ailment which required surgery.
Noah Dobson is the team’s on-ice and scoring leader among defensemen. Tony DeAngelo, who signed a free-agent contract in January after starting the year in the KHL, has also put in big minutes.
The Islanders have not given up on their season being in the middle of a wild-card battle.
The Panthers should be used to playing these kind of teams — and playing in these kind of games.
ON DECK: GAME No. 68
FLORIDA PANTHERS at NEW YORK ISLANDERS
- When: Sunday, 7:30 p.m.
- Where: UBS Arena; Elmont, N.Y.
- Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
- Streaming: Panthers+; ESPN+
- Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
- Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
- Last Season: Islanders Won 2-1
- This Season (Panthers Lead 2-0) — At Islanders: Panthers 6, Islanders 3 (Oct. 26); March 16. At Florida: Panthers 6, Islanders 3 (Feb. 2).
- All-time Regular Season Series: Panthers lead 59-34-11, 8 ties
- Next Up for the Panthers: Thursday at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7 p.m.
