3 Takeaways: Isles Pull Out 3-2 Win over Panthers 

The New York Islanders pulled off a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday night, kicking off their three-game road trip on a high note.

Ryan Pulock, Mathew Barzal and Jean-Gabriel Pageau (GWG, 1A) scored for the Islanders, while Casey Cizikas recorded a pair of assists. Vladimir Tarasenko and Aleksander Barkov put up goals for the Panthers. Semyon Varlamov turned aside 27 of 29 shots in the win, while Anthony Stolarz stopped 21 of 24 in the loss.

The win was just the second in the last nine games for the Islanders, but also marked their second against the Panthers, who have been one of the top teams in the NHL this season. The Isles finish the season series with a 2-0-1 record against Florida and in order for the Islanders to earn five of a possible six points this season against the Panthers - it required a full team effort.

“That was the performance we needed. It was good for the confidence of our guys,” Head Coach Patrick Roy said after the win. “Today was a really good team effort.”

The out-of-town scoreboard was kind to the Islanders on Thursday night. The Washington Capitals fell 5-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs while the Philadelphia Flyers fell 4-1 to the Montreal Canadiens. The Isles (77 points) closed their gap from six points to four points behind the Capitals (81 points), who hold the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. New York trails Philadelphia (82 points) for third place in the division and the Isles hold two games in hand. The Detroit Red Wings, who stand between the Capitals and Islanders, were shut out 4-0 by the Carolina Hurricanes.

PESKY ISLES PULL OUT WIN:

The Islanders battled back twice in the victory – keeping pace in a tight, one-goal atmosphere.

They thought they had opened the scoring, as Ryan Pulock’s shot from the point found its way to the back of the net at the 7:49 mark, but it was reviewed and ruled no goal because of goaltender interference. The pendulum quickly swung the other way, as the Panthers struck 24 seconds after the overturned goal, when Vladimir Tarasenko’s pass deflected off JG Pageau’s stick and trickled under the skate of Varlamov at 8:13.

Down 1-0 after the disallowed goal and the Panthers tally, the Islanders showed grit and resilience after the turn of events.

Surrounded by two defenders in the Panthers zone, Pageau chipped the puck behind him from along the boards, allowing Pulock to collect the puck and rip a shot off the post and behind Stolarz to tie up the game at 13:20.

“That was a key moment of the game when we got back on it,” Pulock said. “Pager made a great play down low and I was able to get one that counted to get us back in the game.”

Aleksander Barkov picked up his 700^th NHL point with a goal at 6:32 of the second period to take a 2-1 advantage, but the Islanders were pesky and came right back. Mathew Barzal recorded his 23rd goal of the season with a nice deflection to tie the game at two at the 8:43 mark of the frame.

In a scramble in front of the net, Pageau collected the puck at the side of the crease and banked it past Stolarz for the first lead of the game for the Islanders, which held up as the game-winner. Pageau’s goal capped what was a solid period for the Islanders, who outshot the Panthers 13-5 in the middle frame.

VARLAMOV, ISLES WEATHER THE STORM:

Sandwiched around a solid second period, the Islanders were able to weather two big storms from the Panthers. Armed with a 3-2 lead, the Islanders faced a flurry of 15 shots from the Panthers in the third period but were ultimately able to hold firm.

That commitment was on center stage when they killed off their only penalty with at the midpoint of the period , as Brock Nelson and Casey Cizikas had two important clears.

Semyon Varlamov played a key role in the Islanders’ win. The netminder came up in big moments, especially when Florida was dominating the Islanders zone early in the first period. Varlamov made an important stop on Barkov early in the first period after a turnover in the slot, which could have been costly for the Islanders.

“He was solid from the beginning to the end,” Roy said. “The save he made at the beginning of the game was as big one for us.”

Though he only faced five shots in the second period, Varlamov locked it down when he needed to and allowed the Islanders to push from there. Second periods have been a weak spot for the Islanders as of late, but they had a strong performance, outshooting the Panthers 13-5.

Varlamov was named the game’s first star and is now 3-0-1 in his last four starts.

“Stellar. Huge saves, big moments,” Pulock said of Varlamov. “Played the puck well, was really solid back there. He was a key part of that win.”

CLUTTERBUCK, BARZAL REACH MILESTONES:

A couple of Isles achieved personal milestones in the 3-2 feat.

Cal Clutterbuck has reigned as the league’s hit leader for a long time, but on Thursday the veteran winger made history. With three hits against the Panthers, Clutterbuck reached 4,000 career hits and became the first player in NHL history to achieve the feat since the statistic was kept in 2005-06.

Clutterbuck finished the game in a symbolic way - with a bloody lip - on the night he reached the milestone.

"It's a big number," Clutterbuck said. "To be the first to do it, I mean, when you're the first to do anything in the National Hockey League, I think it's a special moment. I just try and go out there and do my job. It's part of my job and if anything, it's sort of a validation that I've been doing it well for a long time."

With a second period tally to knot the score at two apiece, Mathew Barzal established a new career high with 23 goals, surpassing his 22 goals scored in the 2017-18 season. He has three goals in his last four outings.

Barzal has been playing at center in the last four games and garnered praise from Roy for not only his strong offensive production but for his defense.

“He’s getting better and better every game, not just offensively but defensively. That’s what Barzal wants too, he wants to be a complete player,” Roy said. “It’s good for our team.”

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders continue their three-game road trip with a visit to Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning on Saturday. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.