The Islanders have now lost three straight games.
ELMONT, NY – The New York Islanders came 1:29 away from losing their third straight game on Saturday night, but Kyle Palmieri had different plans, scoring to secure one point for the home team.
But the Panthers dominated the extra session and Oliver Ekman-Larsson eventually scored the game-winner 1:57 into the extra frame.
Here’s how it happened:
Neither team broke the ice in the first period of play. New York outshot Florida 7-4 in the first period, both teams turned the puck over four times in the opening frame.
The goaltender’s duel continued in the second, but a Mathew Barzal hooking penalty opened the door for the Panthers’ man advantage. Carter Verhaeghe whipped a puck below the goal line to Matthew Tkachuk, who found Sam Reinhart in the bumper spot. Reinhart buried the release past Varlamov, giving Florida a 1-0 lead.
Reinhart’s 37th of the season was his 20th power-play goal of the season, setting a new franchise record for the Panthers.
Nine minutes later, the Islanders got the game leveled. Off a face-off loss by Oliver Wahlstrom, Jean-Gabriel Pageau freed the puck for Simon Holmstrom in the slot. The Islanders’ winger buried the puck past the right side of Stolarz, tying the game on his 12th of the season.
Wahlstrom’s secondary helper snapped a nine-game pointless drought, he last recorded two points on Nov. 24 against the Ottawa Senators.
Despite the tie score, Florida upped the tempo in the middle frame, outshooting New York 17-8. New York had three turnovers in the frame, while Florida had one.
Florida got their fourth power play opportunity early in the third period, and Florida found the back of the net once again. Brandon Montour and Aleksander Barkov cycled the puck around the right side of the perimeter, and Barkov found a lane toward the slot. Barkov let go a shot that was tipped by Tkachuk, giving Florida a 2-1 lead on his 16th of the year.
Then with 1:29 remaining in the third period, Palmieri buried a one-timer, finishing a laser-guided Noah Dobson cross-ice pass.
But in the extra session the Panthers played keep-away and 1:55 in, Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored the game-winner.
The Islanders are now 1-2-1 under Patrick Roy.
UP NEXT: The Islanders host the Toronto Maple Leafs after the All-Star break on Feb. 5
LINES:
Anders Lee -- Bo Horvat -- Mathew Barzal
Pierre Engvall -- Brock Nelson – Kyle Palmieri
Simon Holmstrom -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Oliver Wahlstrom
Matt Martin -- Kyle MacLean -- Cal Clutterbuck
Alexander Romanov -- Noah Dobson
Mike Reilly -- Sebastian Aho
Samuel Bolduc– Scott Mayfield
Semyon Varlamov
Ilya Sorokin