Panthers Beat Islanders

Following the trade of David Booth to the Vancouver Canucks, the Florida Panthers snapped a two-game losing streak and defeated the New York Islanders 4-2 on Saturday night at the Bank Atlantic Center. The Islanders picked up a power play goal just 1:01 into the game as Mark Streit(1) blasted a top-zone slap shot through traffic for a 1-0 lead. Tomas Kopecky missed on a penalty shot at 2:39 after being hooked from behind by Andrew MacDonald. Kris Versteeg tied the game at 14:39, his fourth goal of the season, as he followed up his initial shot from the right circle with a rebound shot in the low slot area. In the second period, Florida took their first lead 2-1 at 13:39 when Shawn Matthias went around Streit in the right corner and found Matt Bradley(1) for a backhand goal in the crease area. New York responded and tied the game one minute later at the start of their second power play. John Taveres(6) won a face-off in the left circle that went back to Streit at the blue line, and his shot was redirected by Tavares in the slot area. Tim Kennedy scored his first goal of the season which gave the Panthers the eventual lead at 4:00 of the third period as he and Matthias performed a give-and-go cycle play around Mark Eaton to the side of the Islanders net. Former Panther Michael Grabner almost tied the game on a breakaway at 11:59 but his forehand shot was stopped by Jacob Markstrom, who picked up his first career NHL win. New York failed to convert on a 5-on-3 power play in the last three minutes of the game. Matthias(1) came out of the penalty box behind the Islanders defense and put in an open-net goal from a lead pass up the right wing boards by Tomas Fleischmann at 19:36. The Panthers begin a three-game road trip on Monday in Montreal.