Florida Panthers Fall To New York Islanders 5-2

The Florida Panthers are the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, but this year, despite having 10 players on various Olympic hockey teams, they are in last place in the Atlantic Division. They will not make the playoffs. In this very close playoff race, where every point matters, the Islanders needed this 5-2 win.

Counting the game with Florida, the Islanders have just nine games remaining. They need every point they can get, especially against teams that may have given up. That said, the Panthers still have a number of great players. Matthew Tkachuk has played great since he won a gold medal with the United States Olympic Team. When do you think a team should give up?

Florida Panthers and New York Islander Scoring Summary

The last time a defending Stanley Cup champion failed to make the playoffs the following year was the 2013-14 Los Angeles Kings. The Panthers have lost four of their last six games. They lost to the Minnesota Wild 3-2 after allowing the game-winning goal in the final five seconds of regulation on Thursday night. The Islanders are coming off a big 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Here is a scoring summary from the game.

In the first period, Tkachuk scored on a breakaway for the Panthers. It was his 11th goal of the season, after he started on Jan. 29. Florida led 1-0. Then he scored again, and the Panthers led 2-0. That is how the first period ended.

In the second period, Marc Gatcomb, of all people, scored for the Islanders. That cut the Florida lead to 2-1. That was Gatcomb’s second goal of the season and his first since December. Then, Brayden Schenn scored for the Islanders, which tied the game at 2. Then, Simon Holmstrom scored for the Islanders, and after being down 2-0, they were now leading 3-2. Then, Emil Heineman scored for the Islanders for a 4-2 lead. Casey Cizikas scored to finish off the win.

Ilya the Great, and Oft-Used

Ilya Sorokin started this game in the net for the Islanders. He played the last game as well. He also came in the game against the Chicago Blackhawks in relief of his backup, David Rittich, after he let up three first-period goals. That is three straight games for Sorokin. Get used to it.

He is much better than his backup, and the Islanders need points. So, he might play in all eight remaining games.

Player Of the Game

Despite the outcome, the player of this game was Tkachuk. He scored two pretty goals. He was also a general irritant all game long. The commentators were saying metrics say he is the worst skater in the National Hockey League. He certainly did not look like it. For the Islanders, both Matthew Schaefer and Gatcomb had 2 points. That is unusual for Gatcomb.

Turning Point

The turning point of this game was the Gatcomb goal 5:28 into the second period. That goal broke the period open and gave the Islanders confidence in the game. In the second period, five different Islanders scored on the five unanswered goals for the Islanders.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Islanders beat the Florida Panthers 5-2 in this game. The Panthers are the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. Tkachuk of the Panthers was the player of this game. He scored two first-period goals. The Islanders host Pittsburgh on Monday at 7 p.m. in another must-win game for them. Florida is playing out the string, and they face the Rangers tomorrow at 7 p.m at Madison Square Garden.

Parting Shots

The Islanders needed to win this game. They are fighting for a playoff spot, and the Panthers are in last place in the Atlantic Division. So, this was an important win. However, the standings in the Eastern Division are so tight that the next game matters. The game against Pittsburgh is now the most important thing.