UBS Keys to the Game: Islanders vs Panthers

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (35-31-9) VS FLORIDA PANTHERS (54-15-6)7:30 PM ET | UBS ARENA | BUY TICKETSWATCH: MSG+ | MSG GO | ESPN+LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 1050AM
The New York Islanders return home after a three-game road trip when they take on the red-hot Florida Panthers on Tuesday night at UBS Arena. The Panthers have won 10 in a row heading into Tuesday's matchup and the Islanders will look to disrupt the Eastern Conference's top team.
The Islanders were pushed out of playoff contention on Sunday with a 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey had the Islanders up 2-1, but the Maple Leafs responded with goals from Pierre Engvall, William Nylander and David Kampf (ENG).

The Panthers are coming off a 6-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday afternoon, outshooting the Red Wings 39-34. Florida's offense exploded in the second period with four straight goals by Anthony Duclair, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell, and Maxim Manin. Pius Suter had the lone goal for Detroit in the loss.
The Islanders are down 2-0 in the season series against the Panthers, with a 5-1 loss on Oct. 16 and a 6-1 loss on Nov. 16. Oliver Wahlstrom scored the lone goal in the first matchup between the two teams this season, while earning his first PPG of the season. Kyle Palmieri netted the only goal in the second matchup, with Kieffer Bellows and Noah Dobson tallying assists.

ISLANDERS NOTES:

• The Islanders were officially eliminated with the loss against Toronto on Sunday, marking the first time the Islanders missed the playoffs since the 2017-18 season. As the regular season winds down, the Islanders look to fight hard in the remaining games. "We have seven more games and some very good opponents," Head Coach Barry Trotz said. "We're going to have to show up and compete. And they will."
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• Having only played one game at UBS in the month of April, the Islanders have five home games ahead of them to close out the season. The Islanders have a record of 19-13-4 on home ice, with eight wins in their last nine games at UBS, dating back to March 10.
• Semyon Varlamov has been out with an illness since Friday, as Ilya Sorokin made four straight starts, including a back-to-back set. Sorokin has faced an even 1,500 shots against on the season and boasts a 25-16-7 record with a 2.31 GAA a .927 SV%) and seven shutouts. Ken Appleby has served as backup goaltender for two consecutive games.
• Brock Nelson has seven points in his last seven games. The team leader in goals (34) also has a career-high 56 points on the season.
• Zach Parise's three-game goal streak came to an end on Sunday. However, despite not picking up any points in Sunday's matchup, Zach Parise (15G, 18A) still has four points in his last four games.
• The Islanders are fourth in the NHL on the penalty kill overall (84.8%) and have killed 32 of their last 33 penalties (97.0%).

PANTHERS NOTES:

• The Panthers (114 points) are currently first in the Eastern conference, eight points ahead of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs (106 points). Florida's 114 points are a franchise record, 11 more than the Panthers' second-highest total (103) set during the 2015-16 season. Florida's 54 wins are also a franchise best. The Panthers are likely looking at the Washington Capitals (94 points) as a first-round opponent in the playoffs.
• The Panthers are riding a 10-game win streak, and are 13-1-0 in their last 14 games. With Sunday's win at Little Caesars Arena, the Panthers improved their road record to 22-9-6, matching their single-season record for road wins.
• Since signing with Florida, Claude Giroux (2G, 14A) has 16 points through 13 games played. Giroux recorded seven points (1G, 6A) in his last five games. In 1,013 career games played, Giroux has 293 goals and 623 assists.
• Jonathan Huberdeau (30G, 78A) recently recorded a 13-game point streak, spanning from Mar. 18 to Apr. 17. His run (11-13-24) is second-longest in franchise history, tied with Pavel Bure (1999-00). The 28-year-old winger is second in points in the NHL with 108, trailing only Connor McDavid, and is also goals shy of 200 for his career.
• Aleksander Barkov leads the team in goals (34) and has 18 points in his last 10 games played (6G, 12A).
• The Panthers are averaging 4.19 goals per game, the only team in the league averaging more than four in a game.
• The Panthers penalty kill (79.8%) went perfect through their past four games (11-for-11).