Islanders’ struggles continue in overtime loss to Panthers
The vibe around the Islanders has been completely different over the past seven days.
The results, however, have not changed all that much.
After dropping their last game before the All-Star break, 3-2 in overtime to the Panthers on Saturday night at UBS Arena, the Islanders are jus 1-2-1 under new coach Patrick Roy.
And parallel to the rest of the season, all three losses have been by one goal after Oliver Ekman-Larsson notched the winner for Florida 1:55 into the extra period.
I love the progression of our team, I really do, Roy said. I like the fact that tonight it looked like a team that played a playoff hockey game. Listen, we were a long way away, and I think were getting closer to where we want to be.
The Islanders have certainly looked much more engaged under Roy than they did for Lane Lambert, and the numbers have mostly backed up the eye test.
But they enter the All-Star break in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division, with a four-point gap between them and the Flyers in the Metro and a five-point gap to the Red Wings in the wild-card race.
Saturday followed a familiar script, in which the Islanders showed some resilience throughout an ugly game, only to fall short in overtime.
4Semyon Varlamov got the start in net for the Islanders. Robert Sabo for NY PostGoing into the final 20 minutes, momentum looked to be on the Islanders side after Simon Holmstrom had tied the game at one, winning a battle for the puck off a faceoff and slotting it home at the 16:29 mark of the second.
But here came the same old problems after Samuel Bolduc tripped Mackie Samoskevich at 5:12 of the third.
Matthew Tkachuk made short work of the power play, deflecting Aleksander Barkovs shot past Semyon Varlamov for a 2-1 lead at 5:59.
Forty-nine games into the season, the Islanders have yet to kick their habit of takig costly penalties.
4Simon Holmstrom scores a goal and celebrates with his teammates. Robert Sabo for NY PostBut they nearly overcame that as well, with Kyle Palmieri converting Noah Dobsons cross-ice feed at the 18:31 mark of the third to tie the game at two.
That got the game to overtime.
But for the 12th time this year, the Islanders fell in the extra period.
Ekman-Larsson finished off a breakaway when Anthony Stolarz kept play alive off Brock Nelsons chance the other way catching Nelson out as he went for a change.
Probably shouldve found a way to either stop that rebound or jam it up there so they didnt have a two-on-one going back, Nelson said.
4The Islanders lost another game in overtime. Getty ImagesThe game, on the whole, was a choppy and relatively low-event affair. But Varlamov turned in a 34-save effort to help keep the Islanders in it.
Unlike the past couple games, in which they dominated the puck for long periods of time, the Islanders struggled in transition against a red-hot Panthers team, which came into the night 6-2-2 over their past 10 games.
Sam Reinhart got Florida on the board at the 7:56 mark of the second, converting from the low slot on the power play from Tkachuks feed behind the net.
But the combination of Varlamov and 24 blocked shots stopped the game from spiraling.
I dont like those offensive zone penalties, Roy said. I think when our guys start to understand we cant take penalties in the offensive zone, then well be fine.
4Bo Horvat #14 of the New York Islanders steals the puck from Anton Lundell #15 of the Florida Panthers during the first period. Robert Sabo for NY PostOf late, it has been the Islanders offense coming up short more often than their defense. Ditto for Saturday.
I dont think we were as good as we did, lets say, against Vegas and Montreal in that regard, Roy said. They did a good job closing the wall. Sometimes,maybe our guys were a little nervous to bring that puck up. These are adjustments that, the more were gonna practice, I think theyre gonna feel it, and itll be easier along the way.
A year ago, after a similarly bad January, Lou Lamoriello jolted the group by trading for Bo Horvat, and the Islanders surged into the playoffs.
They are hoping that the arc of 2024 will rhyme with that of 2023 after the thunderclap of Roys hiring.
Everybody in this room remembers how we played down the stretch last year and found a way into the playoffs, Palmieri said. … We believe in each other. We believe that we can make a run down here.
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