TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 05: Anders Lee #27 of the New York Islanders checks Brett Connolly #10 of the Florida Panthers into the boards during the third period in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 5, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) Credit: Getty Images/Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo
Closing out an NHL postseason series is always a formidable challenge. The Islanders had that hockey truth reinforced when they failed to sweep the Panthers in their best-of-five qualifier.
“We’ve had some guys that have been around the Island for a while,” center Brock Nelson said on Thursday, an off-day for both teams in a stretch of three games in four days.