Game 2 Preview: Islanders vs Panthers

NEW YORK ISLANDERS VS FLORIDA PANTHERS
GM 2 | AUG. 4 | 12 PM | SCOTIABANK ARENA
ISLES LEAD BEST-OF-FIVE SERIES 1-0
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The Isles scored a 2-1 victory on Saturday with a first-period goal from Jean-Gabriel Pageau - who scored his first playoff goal as an Islander - and a second-period power-play goal from Anthony Beauvillier, while Semyon Varlamov made 27 saves.
The Isles defensive structure dominated most of the game, forcing Florida's sixth-ranked offense during the regular season (3.30 goals for per game) to the outside and limiting them to one goal.
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"We stepped in pretty well and defensively our structure in the neutral zone created some opportunities," captain Anders Lee said. "If we continue to play to our identity, understand what makes us successful. We don't need to score four or five goals a night, we just to make sure we take care of our own business, our own end and go from there."
With two days to prepare before Game 2, the Isles are expecting Florida to play with more desperation in a pivotal match in the series.
"We're expecting them to play well again," Varlamov said on Sunday. "There's no easy games, no one is going to give up easy or until the end. We expect that it will be an on-top game to play and we'll be ready."
Teams that go up 2-0 in a best-of-five series are 55-1 all-time in NHL history, further highlighting the importance for both teams. The lone team to come back from a 2-0 deficit was the 1985 Islanders, rallying to upset the Washington Capitals.
"They are going to come with a different level and as expected we are going to have to do the same," Lee said. "The games become more and more important and the opportunity that we have in Game 2 is crucial. Especially in a short series, they are going to raise their game, we're going to have to do the exact same."

Video: Prepping For Game 2

BOYCHUK'S STATUS UNCERTAIN, DEFENSIVE DEPTH READY:

Johnny Boychuk was unavailable for the Islanders at Monday's practice, per Head Coach Barry Trotz.
Trotz did not offer an update on Boychuk's status for Game 2. The defenseman left Saturday's game in the second period after taking a high hit from Mike Matheson. While potentially losing a player with as much veteran experience and caliber of play as Boychuk is unfortunate, the Islanders are confident in their defensive options to fill his void.
The Isles took 10 defensemen with them into the bubble in Toronto and feel that every one of those 10 is capable of suiting up. Trotz said Andy Greene and Noah Dobson are the two replacement candidates if Boychuk can't go.
Both Greene and Dobson played in the Isles' 2-1 exhibition win over the New York Rangers, the Isles dressed eight defensemen - per an NHL exception allowing each team to dress two additional skaters. The performances from the veteran (Greene) and rookie (Dobson) made Trotz's decision for who he would select to face the Panthers in Game 1 incredibly difficult.
"That's one area that we are blessed," Trotz said on Sunday. "As a coach, I don't know if I've had too many more difficult decisions as to who is going to start Game 1. Really in my mind, there's 10 guys that can play in the league right now. I had it down to eight, but it was really a tough decision. The depth will play in if Johnny is not available then the next man up. The great thing about competition when you have lots of competition is once you get in you don't want to come out."
Game 1 was also Adam Pelech's first non-exhibition game back in the lineup since Dec. 31. The left-shot defenseman was out indefinitely during the regular season after undergoing surgery for a torn Achilles tendon. Pelech logged 21:31 time on ice, took one penalty and threw a team-high five hits.
"The rapport that him and [d-partner Ryan Pulock] have is good to have in our lineup," Devon Toews said on Sunday. "It gives a little stability back there in our lineup. His game, his calm presence has been awesome for us. We're happy that he's back and feeling good."

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SPECIAL TEAMS BATTLE:

Heading into the series, the Islanders prepared themselves for the special teams battle with the Panthers. While the Islanders held an edge on the penalty kill with their 15th-ranked PK in the league with a kill percentage of 80.7% compared to Florida's 78.5% PK ranked 20th, they knew Florida's power play could be a game changer.
During the regular season, the Panthers power play was 10th-best in the league at 21.3% and boasts lethal shooters in every spot. The top unit is composed of: Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Evgenii Dadonov, Mike Hoffman and Keith Yandle quarterbacking it.
While the power play was projected to be a strength for Florida, the Isles' PK was a perfect one-for-one against the Panthers. Staying out of the box as a whole appears to be the preferred option.
"You don't want to take something unnecessary," Lee said. "They have a great power play and can shoot and move the puck, we don't want to give them any extra opportunities."
The Islanders power play was one-for-three in Game 1, as it converted the eventual game-winning goal.
"Ever since training camp started and even the exhibition game, we've been feeling really confident and getting used to the unit," Toews said of the Isles' power play. "They changed a little bit, we're trying some different things. The chemistry is really starting to come together."
While the Isles power play had some success, Trotz noted he'd still like to see it employ more of a "shot mentality."
"If you're looking for lots of exotic plays - I don't know if they're there - we're adjusting on the fly," Trotz said. "We've got to get a little bit more of a shot mentality than we've heard, even though we scored our goal on a really good shot mentality. We could be better in that area. We'd like to be three-for-three not one-for-three."