3 Takeaways: Islanders Fall 3-2 in OT to Panthers  

The New York Islanders battled back to earn a point, but ultimately fell 3-2 in overtime to the Florida Panthers in the team’s final game before the all-star break on Saturday night at UBS Arena. 

Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored the overtime winner at 1:57 of the extra frame to take the two points for the Panthers. Kyle Palmieri tied the score with 1:29 left to play in the third period, while Simon Holmstrom also scored for the Islanders. Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk (1G, 1A) scored in regulation.

“Unfortunately, they scored two power-play goals, but we played against the Stanley Cup Finalists, they’re a good team,” Head Coach Patrick Roy said. “Lot of depth, great defense, so it was a nice challenge for our group. But I love the progression of our team.”

Semyon Varlamov made 34 saves in his second straight start, which marks the first time he stared in consecutive games this season. Anthony Stolarz stopped 21 of 23 shots in the win.

PENALTY KILL ALLOWS A PAIR OF GOALS

In a tight game where the Islanders didn’t allow a goal at five-on-five, two power-play goals spoiled an otherwise solid even-strength effort on Saturday night.    

The Panthers capitalized on their second power play of the game to get the scoring started. Matthew Tkachuk sent a pass to Sam Reinhart in the slot, who fired a shot through Varlamov at 7:56 of the second period to take a 1-0 lead for the Panthers. Reinhart’s goal extended his career-long point streak to 13 games (14G, 4A) and his road goal streak to nine games. 

Holmstrom evened the score for the Islanders, burying his 12th of the season with 3:31 to play in the second period, but

Tkachuk regained the lead for the Panthers with a tip-in at the 5:59 mark of the third period to make it 2-1. 

The Islanders went 2-for-4 on the penalty kill, which marked the second straight game the Isles shorthanded unit had allowed two goals The Islanders allowed five power-play goals in their last three games with their penalty kill going 7-for-12 over that span.

"Would I have liked to see us go 100% on PK? Yes, because we would have won the game,” said Roy.

ISLES BATTLE BACK TO EARN A POINT HEADING INTO BREAK:

Semyon Varlamov posted a solid performance in his second consecutive start, making 34 saves to keep the Islanders in the game and give them gave a chance to win.

The Russian netminder made some important glove saves early on Brandon Montour and Evan Rodrigues, while coming up big against Matthew Tkachuk to maintain the 1-1 score.

“He played great,” Kyle Palmieri said. “He made some huge saves that bailed us out and kept it a tie game.” 

Varlamov, who was named the game’s third star, kept the Islanders in the game long enough for Palmieri to knot the game at two apiece. Down 2-1 with under three minutes to play, Varlamov was pulled for the extra attacker and Noah Dobson threaded a puck through the zone and set up Kyle Palmieri with a sharp angle shot, which Palmieri banked off Stolarz’s mask and into the net.

It marked the third time this season the Islanders pulled the goalie for the extra attacker and scored, and the third time in four games Islanders trailed and were able to tie the game.

"Anytime you can tie it up with your goalie pulled and the game on the line, that's big,” Palmieri said. “That's a point we need, and we’d like to have the second one but wasn't there.”

Unfortunately the Islanders couldn’t find the second. After Brock Nelson was denied by Stolarz, the Panthers caught the Isles on an OT change. Stolarz kept the play alive and Rodrigues found Oliver Ekman-Larsson on a two-on-one at the 1:57 mark of the extra frame to win it for the Panthers.

"He stood tall," Brock Nelson said of Varlamov. “It's good to have him back, I think that the tandem to have both have both those guys is huge for us. Disappointed that we couldn't get the extra point.”

LINEUP CHANGES

Oliver Wahlstrom drew into the lineup for the first time in five games, recording two hits in 10:14 TOI, playing to the satisfaction for Roy especially given the lack of consistency in his ice time. 

“He played a very good game,” Roy said of Wahlstrom. “It’s also about me learning him and trusting him. I thought he did a pretty good job and played a good game. It’s never easy when you don’t play for a long period of time, but he responded very well.” 

Wahlstrom skated with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Simon Holmstrom and ended a nine-game pointless drought with an assist on the Islanders’ first goal. Wahlstrom won the faceoff in the offensive zone, leading to a second effort to retrieve the puck by Pageau and Holmstrom’s quick strike.

Mike Reilly slotted into the lineup to replace Adam Pelech, who is day to day with an upper-body injury. Reilly, who skated in a defense pair with Scott Mayfield, took five shots (three blocked, two missed) in 17:37 TOI.  

Matt Martin drew back into the lineup after missing a game, recording two hits and skating 9:10 on a line with Kyle MacLean and Cal Clutterbuck. 

NEXT GAME

The Islanders have eight days without games before they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 5 following the NHL All-Star break. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.