Newsday · Apr 11, 2016
Five keys for the Islanders-Panthers playoff series
Thomas Greiss of the New York Islanders defends a first-period shot attempt against Quinton Howden of the Florida Panthers at Barclays Center on Monday, March 14, 2016.If this is indeed the first-round matchup the Islanders wanted, the Panthers have the talent to pose more than a few problems for the Isles. That was proven in the three regular-season meetings between the two clubs, including a Dec. 15 drubbing at Barclays Center. That 5-1 loss to the Panthers was a bit misleading, since former Islander Roberto Luongo played exceptionally well and the Panthers scored five times on 17 shots, but that game showed the Isles that Florida is ready for prime time.