Schaefer Scores Twice, Islanders Score Late and Beat the Florida Panthers

The New York Islanders and rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer appear headed to the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Florida Panthers would like to join them.

It just does not look like that’s going to happen.

The Islanders, who lucked into winning the draft lottery last year and took Schaefer with the No. 1 pick, got two from their fabulous rookie defenseman and scored with 31.8 seconds left on a drive-in from Anders Lee for a 5-4 win over the Panthers.

Florida is 1-2 coming out of the Olympic break and has now lost seven of its past nine.

The Islanders have won five straight.

The Panthers played a strong game, taking leads of 2-0 and 3-2. Sam Bennett scored twice.

But the Islanders kept coming, getting their first goal of the game late in the first off a pinball shot from Schaefer before he gave them their first lead at 4-3 midway through the third.

Florida led 1-0 on a breakout goal from Sandis Vilmanis before Bennett got his first.

Down 2-1 going into the second, Carson Soucy tied it for the Islanders at 7:28 of that period.

Bennett gave the Panthers the lead back only to see Bo Horvat get one Sergei Bobrovsky (21 saves) would like back before Schaefer scored to make it 4-3.

Florida tied the score on a bomb from the point by Sam Reinhart, only Lee drove down the ice in the final minute. He got past Aaron Ekblad and Gus Forsling couldn’t get there and that was that.

The Panthers remain eight points back of Boston for the final playoff spot with 22 games remaining.

NOTES: PANTHERS at ISLANDERS

• The Panthers had Dmitry Kulikov back in the lineup for the first time since he sustained a shoulder injury in Florida’s second game of the season against the Flyers.
• With the assist on Florida’s first goal, Sergei Bobrovsky passed Sean Burke (four) for the fourth-most points by a goaltender in Panthers history.
• Tkachuk recorded his 78th multi-point game with Florida and tied Scott Mellanby for the seventh most in franchise history.

HOW THEY SCORED

• Panthers 1, Islanders 0 (3:44 1st): Sergei Bobrovsky gets this one going, sending the puck up the ice to A.J. Greer who feeds Sandis Vilmanis for a backhanded breakaway shot that rolls under the pads of David Rittich. 
• Panthers 2, Islanders 0 (14:54 1st PP): Sam Bennett sends a hard wrister off a pass from Aaron Ekblad for his first of the night.
• Panthers 2, Islanders 1 (18:01 1st): Matthew Schaefer gets his 19th of the year, the rookie extraordinaire sending a shot through traffic that ends up going up in the air and over the head of Bobrovsky and in.
• Islanders 2, Panthers 2 (7:28 2nd): Carson Soucy scores from the left circle.
• Panthers 3, Islanders 2 (12:04 2nd): Bennett gets his second of the night, coming down on a breakaway off a feed from Matthew Tkachuk, sending a hard backhander through.
• Islanders 3, Panthers 3 (17:14 2nd): Bo Horvat sends a sharp-angled shot from the goal line that somehow finds its way through.
• Islanders 4, Panthers 3 (10:29 3rd): Schaefer gets his 20th of the year, ripping a wrist shot off Jeff Petry and between the legs of Bobrovsky.
• Panthers 4, Islanders 4 (18:02 3rd 6/5): With Bobrovsky on the bench, Sam Reinhart ties the score with a wicked shot from the point that hits the top corner.
• Islanders 5, Panthers 4 (19:30 3rd): Anders Lee drives down the ice, beats Aaron Ekblad and Gus Forsling before tucking the puck in to get the win.

FHN’S 3 STARS

• 1. Matthew Schaefer, Islanders
• 2. Anders Lee, Islanders
• 3. Sam Bennett, Panthers

ON DECK: GAME No. 61

FLORIDA PANTHERS at NEW JERSEY DEVILS

• When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Prudential Center, Newark
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WPTV 5/WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
• National TV: TNT
• Streaming: Panthers+; HBO Max
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Season Series (Tied 1-1) — At Florida: Panthers 1, Devils 0 (Nov. 2). At Devils: New Jersey 3, Florida 1 (Oct. 16); Tuesday.
• Last Season: New Jersey won 2-0-1
• All-time Regular Season Series: Devils lead 60-38-8, 7 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Thursday at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7