Islanders Defeat Panthers In Game 1

     The Florida Panthers lost to the New York Islanders 2-1 on Saturday in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Qualifier Series at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The Islanders lead the best-of-five series 1-0.  It was a playoff rematch between both clubs who met each other in the 2016 Eastern Conference first round. 

     The Panthers were outshot by the Islanders 8-1 in the first 11 minutes of the game. New York scored first at the eight-minute mark of the opening period. Riley Stillman turned over the puck in the left corner when he got bumped off by Tom Kuhnhackl. Former Panther Derick Brassard sent a cross-ice pass through the crease and Jean-Gabriel Pageau tapped in a forehand shot from the top of the crease past Sergei Bobrovsky.

     In the second period, New York converted on a power-play goal at 3:39. Josh Bailey reversed the puck back from the left wing. Devon Toews angled a pass from the top of the zone and Anthony Beauvillier blasted a one-time slap shot from the top right circle. 

     Florida struck 23 seconds into the third period and the cut the deficit to 2-1. Jonathan Huberdeau gave a back-and-forth pass with MacKenzie Weegar on the left side in the Islanders zone. Huberdeau skated through the low left circle into the crease and slipped a backhand shot by Semyon Varlamov. Aleksander Barkov was also credited with an assist on the play.