NY Islanders explode for five second period goals to rally past Florida Panthers

The New York Islanders showed exactly the kind of resilience that has defined their season, rallying from an early deficit to defeat the Florida Panthers 5-2 on Saturday afternoon at UBS Arena and keep pace in a crowded Eastern Conference playoff race.

Trailing 2-0 midway through the first period after two goals from Matthew Tkachuk, including a highlight one between his legs, the Islanders didn’t waver. Instead, they leaned into the identity head coach Patrick Roy has preached all year and responded with one of their best periods of the season, scoring five goals in the second period, the first time they've done so since Feb, 9, 2022.

Marc Gatcomb and the fourth line sparked the comeback Islanders, getting them on the board and shifting momentum. From there, the game began to tilt. Brayden Schenn, continuing to make an impact since arriving at the trade deadline, tied the game in the second period and finished with a goal and two assists in one of his strongest performances in an Islanders uniform.

The Islanders took control from that point on.

Simon Holmstrom and Emil Heineman added goals to extend the lead, while Casey Cizikas capped the night with a late tally off a Gatcomb setup to seal the 5-2 win.

At the center of it all was Matthew Schaefer, who continues to deliver a historic rookie season. With two assists, the 18-year-old tied the franchise record for points by a rookie defenseman with 56, matching Stefan Persson. His production continues to put him in rare company and drive the Islanders offensively from the back end.

In net, Ilya Sorokin remained steady after the early goals, finishing with 17 saves and shutting the door the rest of the way.

The Islanders have now won two straight and found themselves in 2nd place in the Metro at the game pending Saturday night's game. Next up, is a massive game at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night before they make a trip up to Buffalo on Tuesday.