The Upshot: Familiar woes plague New York Islanders against Florida Panthers

HOW IT HAPPENED

The New York Islanders built a 3-0 lead in the first period, only to lose the game 6-3 on Saturday at the UBS Arena. Dennis Cholowski, Kyle Palmieri, and Brock Nelson scored within the game’s first 12 minutes to give the Isles a comfortable lead. However, the Cats came back, chipping away at the lead.

The Isles went into the first intermission up 3-1, but they coughed up the lead during the second before Sam Bennet and Matthew Tkachuk scored in the third to give the Panthers a 5-3 lead. The Cats added an empty-netter to seal the win.

Semyon Varlamov gave up five goals while making 22 saves. Spencer Knight kept the Panthers in the game, making 25 saves for the win.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

The best part of the Isles’ game came in the first period. They came out dominant, leading to Cholowski’s first of the season 1:32 in. Then, the second line got to work with Palmieri and Nelson scoring with Maxim Tsyplakov assisting on both goals. In particular, Nelson’s goal exploited gaps in the Panthers’ defensive coverage. Nelson stood alone in front of the net, ready to tap in a rebound off Tsyplakov’s shot.

It’s worth pointing out that Tsyplakov had a strong game. His two helpers are welcome. Similarly, Palmieri registered two points on a goal and an assist.

After the game, captain Anders Lee commented on the loss.

“They just started working, and we didn't. We got our game and we got our legs in the first and the second, they showed up and turned the game around.”

As Lee noted, the Panthers got their game plan going, forcing the Isles to move away from theirs. Eventually, the Cats took control of the game, turning the tables on the score.

WHAT WENT WRONG

In essence, the New York Islanders seemed to cruise through the second half of the first period and into the second period. That sort of complacency allowed the Cats to chip away at the lead. Eventually, the Panthers tied the game, going ahead in the third. By then, the Islanders were unable to get much offense going, surrendering an empty-netter in the final minutes.

STAT OF THE GAME

Dennis Cholowski scored his first goal since the 2020-21 season when he played for the Detroit Red Wings. Saturday night’s goal was Cholowski’s 11th career tally and 31st point in 118 games. Cholowski has played in parts of six seasons. However, he’s seen limited NHL action, playing in 14 games from the 2021-22 season till this year.