NY Islanders stun the Stanley Cup champs with thrilling third period comeback

Who saw THAT coming? The New York Islanders staged a dramatic third-period comeback at UBS Arena on Sunday night, scoring four unanswered goals to take down the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 4-2 to bring them within four points of the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The win snapped a three-game losing streak (0-2-1) and provided some much-needed momentum heading into Tuesday night's game in Pittsburgh.

The Isles had the better of the play for much of the game but trailed 2-0 after two periods before Marc Gatcomb got New York on the board at 6:29 of the third period, burying a wraparound chance after his initial shot was stopped by Panthers goaltender Vitek Vanecek. Just over six minutes later, Maxim Tsyplakov tied the game with a slick finish, assisted by defenseman Mike Reilly, who made his return to the lineup after recovering from heart surgery.

Seventeen seconds later, Noah Dobson intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, skated into the offensive zone, and ripped a shot over Vanecek’s glove to give New York its first lead of the night. The two goals marked their fastest since Feb. 18, 2024 (0:16 vs. NYR). The last time New York scored two faster two goals in the third period was Jan. 5, 2019 (0:11 at STL). Simon Holmstrom put the game away with an empty-net goal in the final minute, sealing the 4-2 victory.

“This weekend we played two top teams in the league. Hard-fought Friday night, able to get one point and tonight in the first 40, we were playing good hockey and it wasn’t going our way, but like the resilience and character the group showed to stick with it, said Dobson. “That’s a huge one, something we can build off.”

Ilya Sorokin was sharp in net, stopping 22 shots, including several key saves in the final minutes to preserve the lead. The win was Sorokin's 25th on the season, the fourth straight time he hit the mark, and the first Islanders goaltender to do it four times overall.