Panthers Plan to Hit the Reset Button against Islanders

The Florida Panthers will look to hit the reset button on their season when they complete their back-to-back set on Wednesday night against the New York Islanders at the Barclays Center.
The Panthers (1-3-3) suffered their lone multi-goal loss on Tuesday, dropping the first game of their five-game road trip to the New York Rangers by a score of 5-2. Up until that point, all of the team's losses had come by just one goal, with more than half of their games going to overtime.

But with just one win through their first seven games, players believe a turnaround is close.
"It's a really good thing that we're back at it tomorrow," Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said after yesterday's loss. "Fix those small little things, get everybody going and start all over again. I know it hasn't been pretty, but we just need to start tomorrow."
For the Panthers, those "little things" have been be costly. Although Florida has been excellent at 5-on-5 play -- ranking seventh in the league in CF% (52.95) and first in goals per 60 minutes (3.14 goals) - holding leads and getting through the second period continues to be an issue.
The Panthers have held the lead in each of their first seven games this season, but have been unable to defend it all but once. After carrying a 1-0 lead into the first intermission on Tuesday, the Rangers scored three straight goals in the second period, including a shorthanded tally.
"Right now, it's a struggle," Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. "It's a struggle to have a complete 60 [minutes]. No team ever does, really, to be honest with you. But when we give something up, it's going in the back of our net right now. We've got to learn how to deal with that."
Overall, Florida has been outscored 17-8 in the second period this season. By comparison, the Panthers have allowed a mere three goals in the first period - the second fewest in the league.
"I don't know what it is," Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said of the team's second periods. "Whether it's preparation or not, but we've got to straighten that out. We're going to focus on it in the coming days."
The Islanders (3-4-0) have lost three of their last four games, including a 4-1 loss in San Jose on Saturday. In the wake of the offseason departure of superstar captain John Tavares, New York's offense has struggled, ranking 22nd in goals (2.86) and 29th in shots (27.6) per game.
Wednesday night's matchup also marks the Islanders first home game in roughly two weeks.
"Back-to-backs are good at this point," Boughner said. "Not to have to think about it too much. You get to work tomorrow."

GEICO GOALIE MATCHUP OF THE GAME (UNCONFIRMED)

James Reimer (0-2-1, 3.91 GAA, .870 SV%) vs. Thomas Greiss (1-2-0, 2.60 GAA, .918 SV%)
After taking a backseat to Micheal Hutchinson in each of the last two games, Reimer appears poised to return to Florida's net against the Islanders. The 30-year-old made a relief appearance on Tuesday night, stopping both shots he faced in 16:50 of ice time against the Rangers. Still in search of his first win this season, Reimer is 5-2-2 with 3.00 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage and one shutout in 12 career games against New York.
Greiss is expected to make this third start and fourth appearance of the season against the Panthers. After stopping 45 of 46 shots to pick up the win in his season debut on Oct. 4, the 32-year-old veteran has since allowed seven goals over his last two starts, taking the loss in each. Fans will remember Greiss from the 2016 playoffs, when he carried the Islanders to a first-round win over the Panthers. In his regular-season career against Florida, he owns a 2-2-1 record.

NOTES

-- Mike Hoffman enters tonight's game riding a five-game point streak. The 28-year-old winger currently ranks sixth on the Panthers in points (5) and is tied for first in goals (3).
-- Evgenii Dadonov (3) and Vincent Trocheck (3) lead the Panthers in power-play points. They are also tied for the team lead in goals (3) and points (8).
-- Alexander Petrovic enters tonight's game as Florida's leader in hits (23) and blocked shots (11).
-- Florida owns a 5-1-0 record over its last six regular season games in Brooklyn.

PROJECTED LINEUP (NO MORNING SKATE)

Forwards
Evgenii Dadonov - Aleksander Barkov - Nick Bjugstad
Jonathan Huberdeau - Vincent Trocheck - Denis Malgin
Frank Vatrano - Jared McCann - Mike Hoffman
Troy Brouwer - Juho Lammikko - Colton Sceviour
Defense
Mike Matheson - Aaron Ekblad
Keith Yandle - Alexander Petrovic
Bogdan Kiselevich - MacKenzie Weegar
Goalies
James Reimer
Michael Hutchinson
Scratches: Mark Pysyk (upper-body), Derek MacKenzie (shoulder), Maxim Mamin
Injured Reserve: Roberto Luongo (lower-body)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS

• Oct. 13: D Jacob MacDonald was loaned to Springfield (AHL).
  - Oct. 9: F Juho Lammikko was recalled from Springfield (AHL).
  - Oct. 8: G Michael Hutchinson was recalled from Springfield (AHL).

HOW TO WATCH

When:Wednesday, Oct. 24, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Barclays Center - Brooklyn, NY
Florida Panthers Radio Network Presented by HARD Lifestyle Beverages: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 640 WMEN (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); 1370 WAXE (Treasure Coast)
Where to stream it:
Fox Sports Florida App
Watch Party: Thanks to the new "Territory on Tap" program, every road game now offers a chance for a watch party in South Florida! To see which local bars and restaurants will have drink specials and giveaways for tonight's game, visit the official
"Territory on Tap" page!