Game Preview: Islanders at Panthers 

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (30-26-15) AT FLORIDA PANTHERS (46-21-5)

7 PM ET | AMERANT BANK ARENA

WATCH: MSGSN | MSG+ | ESPN+

LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM

The New York Islanders are in the Sunshine State to take on the Florida Panthers on Thursday.

The Islanders are looking to bounce back after a 4-0 shutout loss to the New Jersey Devils on Sunday evening, which marked thier sixth regulation loss in their last eight contests. With three days between games to reset, the Islanders took the opportunity to practice for two consecutive days on Tuesday and Wednesday before hitting the road.

“It’s important to have that time, not only to rest but to have a couple of hard practices to get the endurance and strength where it needs to be,” Captain Anders Lee said on Wednesday. “And mentally we can work on some things, work on our structure.”

The Panthers are coming off a 4-3 loss to the Boston Bruins to open a three-game homestand. The Panthers can clinch a playoff spot with a win of any kind on Thursday.

The Islanders picked up three of a possible four points against the Panthers this season (1-0-1) after a 4-3 victory in Sunrise on Dec. 2 and a 3-2 OT loss at UBS Arena on Jan. 27.

MORNING SKATE UPDATES 

- Semyon Varlamov will start between the pipes against the Panthers, which will mark his second start in the last three games. Varlamov is 8-7-4 this season along with a .910 SV% and a 2.86 GAA. In his last start, he stopped 32 of 35 shots in a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday at UBS Arena. The Russian netminder was in net for the Islanders' 3-2 OT loss to Florida on Jan. 27 

- Matt Martin will slot back into the linuep after he was a healthy scratch on Sunday, while Simon Holmstrom will sit out against the Panthers, per Head Coach Patrick Roy. 

- Anthony Stolarz is the expected starter for the Panthers. The 30-year-old netminder has won his last five consecutive decisions and is 14-5-2 this season, along with a 1.97 GAA and a .927 SV%. Stolarz was between the pipes in both games of the season series against the Islanders this season. 

- Aaron Ekblad is expected to draw back into the lineup after missing seven games with a lower-body injury, per Head Coach Paul Maurice. The 28-year-old defenseman has 17 points (4G, 13A) through 47 games.

ISLES NOTES

- The Islanders (75 points) trail the Washington Capitals (81 points) for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with an equal number of games played and 11 regular season games remaining. The Detroit Red Wings (79 points) and the New Jersey Devils (76 points) stand between the Isles and Caps.

- Scott Mayfield underwent successful season-ending surgery. He is expected to make a full recovery without delaying a summer training regiment. The 31-year-old blueliner dealt with a lingering lower-body injury this season and has not played since Feb. 22 against the St. Louis Blues

- Cal Clutterbuck has 3,997 career hits and could record his milestone 4,000th hit on Thursday against the Panthers. He would become the first player in NHL history to achieve the feat.

- Bo Horvat has 499 career points and could notch his 500th NHL point against the Panthers on Thursday. The center tied his career high in assists this season (34) and is seven points shy of tying a career-best 70 points, set last season.

- Brock Nelson is one goal shy of his third consecutive 30-goal season. Matt Moulson is the last Islander to accomplish the feat. Nelson’s 270 career goals are two behind John Tavares for seventh in franchise history.

- The Islanders allowed the most second period goals in the NHL (99), which marks the most they’ve allowed in any period since they gave up 108 second period goals in the 2017-18 season.

PANTHERS NOTES

- The Panthers rank second in the Atlantic Division with 97 points, though they are 1-4-1 in their last six games. They threaten the Boston Bruins (99 points) for first place in the division and have two games in-hand. The B's fell 3-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wedesday night.

- Captain Aleksander Barkov returned to the lineup on Tuesday after he was sidelined for three games with an injury. With 698 career points, Barkov is on the cusp of his milestone 700th and could cap off the achievement against the Islanders on Thursday. The 28-year-old center has 67 points (18G, 49A) through 63 games of his 11th season in the NHL, all with the Panthers.

- Florida saw the return of Gustav Forsling on Tuesday, who missed two games with an illness. The 27-year-old blueliner signed an eight year extension through the 2031-32 season on Mar. 7. He leads all defensemen on the team with 35 points (10G, 25A) and leads the league with a +45.

- The Panthers acquired Vladimir Tarasenko from the Ottawa Senators ahead of the trade deadline, in exchange for a fourth-round pick and a third-round pick in 2025. The veteran winger picked up five points (3G, 2A) through nine games of his tenure as a Panther, including a three-point night (2G, 1A) against Calgary on Mar. 9.

- Florida also acquired Kyle Okposo from the Buffalo Sabres ahead of the trade deadline. The former Islander played three games for the Panthers since the trade. He missed the last two games as a healthy scratch.

- Sam Reinhart leads the team with 51 goals and 84 points - reaching career highs in both categories - in his third season in Florida. He is tied for second in the league in goals. The 28-year-old center has seven points (5G, 2A) in his last five games.

- The Panthers are the stingiest team in the NHL with the fewest goals allowed per game (2.43).