As far as games while in a playoff chase go, with the stakes rising each day as the regular season barrels toward its end, this one qualified as one the Islanders needed.
The Panthers were just one of two opponents remaining truly out of the postseason race. Everyone else still had something to play for.
For 20 minutes, the Islanders failed to match the occasion. They trailed against a backup goaltender. They flirted with the danger of potentially ending the day without control of a wild-card spot. And then their best offensive period of the season saved them.
The Islanders erupted for five goals during the second — with contributions from just about everyone — and ended up cruising to a 5-2 win to remain above the postseason cutline at UBS Arena on Saturday. It marked their most goals in a period this season, fueled by their most shots on goal (24) in a period this season.
Brayden Schenn (one goal, two assists) had his most productive game since joining the Islanders (42-27-5). Matthew Schaefer tied Stefan Persson (1977-78) for most points by a rookie defenseman in a season with two assists, giving him 56. The fourth line continued its strong play with Marc Gatcomb and Casey Cizikas both scoring.
It was the type of win that flashes depth, the type of top-to-bottom contributions teams vying to do damage in the postseason need. And amid a rocky stretch for the Islanders, with two wins across their last five games entering play, they’ll now enter a critical showdown with the Penguins on Monday with some momentum.
That wasn’t always a guarantee, though.
By the time the horn sounded at the end of the opening period, they trailed by two goals — with Matthew Tkachuk accounting for both. On the first, the Panthers star snuck behind Adam Boqvist when the Islanders’ defenseman made a pass to keep the puck in the offensive zone, ending up with a breakaway and flipping the puck past Ilya Sorokin just over eight minutes into the game.
Then, around six minutes later, Ondrej Palat and Scott Mayfield collided in the defensive zone, and Tkachuk got possession on his stick with a clear lane to Sorokin. He dragged the puck between his legs and sent a nifty shot in the net.
But everything shifted in the second. The Islanders dominated with 24 shots. The Panthers only managed five — and never possessed the puck for consistent stretches.
At the 5:28 mark, Gatcomb cut through center ice and veered down the right side for a shot that managed to dribble past Daniil Tarasov. Just under seven minutes later, Calum Ritchie hit Schenn driving to the net, and he flipped a puck in. Then, it was Simon Holmstrom on the power play, with Schaefer picking up his record-tying assist. Then, Emil Heineman. Then, Cizikas, getting a bit of revenge for when his goal was waved off in the first period because of what head coach Patrick Roy and the Islanders seemingly deemed an early whistle.
There will certainly be tougher tests that await the Islanders as they try to sneak into the playoff field. A pair of upcoming back-to-backs — against the Penguins and Sabres and against the Flyers and Hurricanes — will assess everything from goaltending plans to whether this burst of offense is sustainable.
But the reality facing the Islanders after the opening frame was dire. And they made sure Saturday didn’t turn into a loss that could haunt them three weeks from now.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
