The Florida Panthers had a great chance to take the lead in the Atlantic Division over the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night. The team had a two-goal lead over the New York Islanders heading into the third period, but the Panthers could not hold on for the victory.
The Islanders came back to win the game, 3-2, with three goals in the third period, including the game winner from Cal Clutterbuck. Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey scored earlier in the period, and Clutterbuck added the winner with less than two minutes left in the game. The win was a big one for the Islanders, as they are chasing the New York Rangers in the division standings while trying to hold off the surging Pittsburgh Penguins.
"It was a huge win for us," Okposo said. "Everyone around us is getting points every night. We are fighting for home ice and fighting to get into the playoffs, so every win is big."
If the Islanders can pull past the Rangers, the team will get home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The team now is just one point behind the Rangers after the win, and they are four points ahead of the Penguins, who are currently in the first wild card position in the Eastern Conference. The game was looking dire for the Islanders towards the end, but the team did not give up attacking the Panthers on offense through the third period.
"Let the guys handle it," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. "They have to play the game."
The Panthers blew a chance at taking the overall lead in the Atlantic Division with the loss. The team is currently in third place behind the Bruins and Lightning with 85 points, one point back of the two leaders. The Bruins have come on strong in the second half of the season, but the Panthers still had the chance to vault ahead in the standings if they could have hung on for the victory.
"We looked great in the first two periods," said Panthers forward Nick Bjugstad. "It was such a high in the first two periods."
The Islanders have had to deal with life without starting goalie Jaroslav Halak, who is out with a groin injury. Halak is expected to be out for at least six weeks with the injury, meaning he likely will miss the start of the playoffs if the Islanders make it. The loss of Halak puts pressure on Greiss, who has gone 19-7-4 this season with a 2.25 goals against average. The Islanders have another big game coming up with a visit to the Penguins on Tuesday night.
