Islanders: Play-in Series Guide to the Florida Panthers

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 09: Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders celebrates after scoring a first period goal against Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Florida Panthers during their game at Barclays Center on November 09, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

The New York Islanders are gearing up for a return to hockey and hopefully, a long playoff run. The first team that will stand in their way is Florida.

The Islanders played the Panthers three times this season, and beat them every time. That being said, each game was extremely close. Had there not been an empty-net goal in the last of these three games, each would have been a one-goal game.

Furthermore, the last time these teams faced off was in mid-December. A lot has changed since then. For starters, the Isles picked up Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Andy Greene at the trade deadline, while the Panthers sent away Vincent Trocheck.

In addition to different rosters, there will more generally be a different energy when these teams square off in the postseason. There will be much excitement surrounding the return to play as well as the usual level of playoff intensity.

Therefore, we can expect a closely fought series between these teams. The Islanders should not assume a cakewalk over the Panthers based on their previous success. Rather, they will want to make sure they are well-prepared for the series. So with that, let’s take a look at some of the strengths and weaknesses of their upcoming opponent.

SUNRISE, FL – MARCH 7: Teammates congratulate Jonathan Huberdeau #11 of the Florida Panthers after he scored a third period goal against the Montreal Canadiens at the BB&T Center on March 7, 2020 in Sunrise, Florida. The Panthers defeated the Canadiens 4-1. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images) /

Second Line

Most teams like to put their top scoring threats on the first line, but the Panthers are a little different. Their second line consists of Jonathan Huberdeau, Erik Haula, and Mike Hoffman. This season, Huberdeau led the team with 78 points. Meanwhile, Hoffman was third on the Panthers with 59. These players helped the Panthers score the sixth-most goals in the NHL this season.

As a quick comparison, the Islanders’ top point-getter was Mathew Barzal with just 60. Both Anders Lee and Josh Bailey tied for third-highest with 43. Clearly, the Panthers’ second-line is a force to be reckoned with.

The Panthers may choose to mix their lines up a bit in the playoffs, but regardless, the Isles will want to look out for Huberdeau and Hoffman. Oh and not to mention, center Aleksander Barkov on the top line isn’t half-bad either.

The Power Play

What do you get when you put Huberdeau, Barkov, Hoffman, Keith Yandle, and Evgenii Dadonov together? How about the league’s tenth best power play. These players helped the Panthers achieve a top-third power play unit in the NHL by converting on 21.3% of their opportunities.

Hoffman and Dadonov were the top power play goal-scorers with 11 each. Meanwhile, Huberdeau picked up an impressive 24 power play assists. Yandle was strong on the point with two goals and 19 assists.

Unfortunately, the Isles were quite bad while up a man this season. They converted on just 17.3% of their opportunities, good for 24th best in the league. No player scored more than four power play goals for their Isles, and Barzal led the team with just eight power play assists.

The Isles may not be able to improve their underwhelming power play, but they can control their aggression. They will want to maintain their composure when possible to avoid sending the Panthers to the power play.

SUNRISE, FL – FEBRUARY 29: Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Florida Panthers defends the net against the Chicago Blackhawks at the BB&T Center on February 29, 2020 in Sunrise, Florida. The Blackhawks defeated the Panthers 3-2 in the shootout. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images) /

Goaltending

The Isles’ scoring woes this season have been well-documented, but one factor that will work in their favor is the Panthers’ underwhelming goaltending. Sergei Bobrovsky was the team’s primary goalie, starting in 48 of their 69 games. Nonetheless, he put together perhaps the worst season of his ten-year career.

Bobrovsky amassed just a .900 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.23 goals against average (GAA). Both were well below his career .917 SV% and 2.54 GAA. This is his first season in Florida, so perhaps his struggles were due to playing in a new environment. Regardless of the reason, it’s fair to say that the two-time Vezina Trophy-winner looked nothing like his past self.

The Islanders were much better in net. Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss largely shared the goalkeeping duties this season. Together, they combined for a .914 SV% and a 2.67 GAA.

Defensive Intensity

The Panthers recorded 1,247 hits this season. That was nearly 700 hits less than the Islanders’ 1,915. One of the Isles’ strengths was their checking. They led the league with 28.2 hits per game. The Panthers were 27th in the NHL with just 18.1 hits per game. Perhaps the most telling stat here though is that Noel Acciari led the Panthers with 121 hits this season. The Islanders had five players who recorded more, including Matt Martin with a team-high 242.

The other area where the Panthers struggled was in blocking shots. Perhaps that is part of the reason why Bobrovsky struggled so much this season. The Panthers blocked just 978 shots this season while the Isles blocked 1,153.

Honorable Mention: Playing at Home

The Panthers have the distinction of being one of just five playoff teams to have a losing record at home (17-18-4) this season. A lack of a home advantage could have hurt the Panthers badly in a postseason where every advantage is needed.

Fortunately for Florida, the playoffs will be hosted at a neutral site this season. That should give each team the same home advantage, or lack thereof.

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