3 Keys: Panthers vs. Islanders, Game 1 of Cup Qualifiers

Ekblad returns to Florida lineup; Barzal in spotlight for New York

By Brian Compton

@BComptonNHL NHL.com Managing Editor

July 31, 2020

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No. 10 Panthers vs. No. 7 Islanders

4 p.m. ET; NBCSN, NHL.TV, SN1, TVAS, MSG+, FS-F

Aaron Ekblad will play for the Florida Panthers when they open the Stanley Cup Qualifiers against the New York Islanders at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Saturday.

The defenseman was unfit to play in Florida's exhibition game, a 5-0 loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday. Ekblad set NHL career highs in assists (36) and points (41) this season, his sixth in the League, and led the Panthers in ice time per game (22:59).

The Islanders, the home team for the first two games of this best-of-5 series, won all three games and allowed four goals against the Panthers during the regular season.

There hasn't been a best-of-5 series in the NHL since 1986. The League used them for the preliminary round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs from 1980-86, and the team that won Game 1 went on to win the series 87.5 percent of the time (49 of 56).

Here are 3 keys for Game 1:

1. Adjust to different surroundings

Florida and New York are two of 12 teams playing in Toronto, the Eastern Conference hub city for the Cup Qualifiers. Playing a postseason game before no fans is unprecedented, and how each team manages the atmosphere could be critical.

"It's going to take some time to get used to it," said Semyon Varlamov, the likely starting goalie for the Islanders in Game 1. "I'm glad we had at least one game to play before we're going to [the Qualifiers] (a 2-1 win against the New York Rangers in an exhibition game Wednesday). … The guys scoring a goal, there's nothing really going on, you know? The team is really excited, and you can only hear your teammates. … That was kind of weird."

Hockey is Back: Panthers vs. Islanders Begins Aug. 1

2. Bobrovsky must step up

Sergei Bobrovsky struggled in his first season as the Panthers' No. 1 goalie after signing a seven-year contract July 1, 2019; his 3.23 goals-against average was the highest of his 10 NHL seasons, and his .900 save percentage was his lowest since 2011-12 (.899). Bobrovsky allowed five goals on 34 shots in a 5-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in an exhibition game Wednesday. He must find his game quickly if Florida is to advance to the playoffs.

In 34 NHL postseason games (30 starts), Bobrovsky is 11-18 with a 3.14 GAA and .902 save percentage, but he allowed eight goals in the Columbus Blue Jackets' stunning four-game sweep of the Lightning in the Eastern Conference First Round last season.

"It's a different season, everything is different," said Bobrovsky, who is 16-10-0 with a 2.18 GAA, a .928 save percentage and three shutouts in 27 games against the Islanders. "There is some experience. I know after last year, I know a little bit more about myself, about my potential, I would say."

3. Barzal vs. Barkov

This series features two of the more talented centers in the NHL, Mathew Barzal of New York and Aleksander Barkov of Florida, and it's likely Panthers coach Joel Quenneville will do everything in his power to have Barkov, who has evolved into a top defensive forward, on the ice at the same time as Barzal, one of the more dynamic offensive players.

"He's a great player, everybody knows that," Barkov said of Barzal. "He's fast and skilled, so you've just got to take time away from him and time and space, and obviously just play my own game and our own game, team game and we'll be fine."

Panthers projected lineup

Frank Vatrano -- Aleksander Barkov -- Evgenii Dadonov

Jonathan Huberdeau -- Erik Haula -- Mike Hoffman

Lucas Wallmark -- Brian Boyle -- Brett Connolly

Colton Sceviour -- Noel Acciari -- Mark Pysyk

MacKenzie Weegar -- Aaron Ekblad

Riley Stillman -- Anton Stralman

Keith Yandle -- Mike Matheson

Sergei Bobrovsky

Chris Driedger

Scratched: Dryden Hunt, Eetu Luostarinen, Aleksi Saarela, Owen Tippett, Dominic Toninato, Josh Brown, Brady Keeper, Chase Priskie, Philippe Desrosiers, Sam Montembeault