Islanders: Top 3 Thomas Greiss performances since 2015-16

Game 5 vs Florida

After a 2-1 home loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 4 to tie the series up at 2-2, the first-round playoff series shifted back to Sunrise for Game 5. The Panthers had picked up an important road split after their Game 4 win and could now deliver a critical blow to the Isles with a win in Game 5 on home ice.

Going up 3-2 in a series is by no means a guarantee to winning a playoff series, but it’s a good place to be. And the Panthers certainly knew that.

In the second period, down 1-0 the Panthers poured on the pressure putting 14 shots on Greiss. He stopped all 14. Aleksander Barkov finally found an opening 18:01 into the third period to tie it up at 1-1.

Greiss stopped the next 19 shots that Florida tossed at in the final minutes of the third and through the next two overtime periods.

Greiss stopped 48 shots that night and only allowed that one Barkov goal against. Earning him an incredible 0.979SV% on the night. Alan Quine ended things with a win for the Isles netting a double-OT goal.

The Islanders didn’t win the series that night, but going up 3-2 before going home for Game 6 was a massive advantage. With another 40+ save night and a John Tavares double-OT winner, the Isles eliminated the Panthers in Game 6. Ending an embarrassing 23-year stretch where the Isles hadn’t won a playoff series. That ended in large part to Thomas Greiss.