Islanders salvage point late but fall 3-2 in OT to Panthers

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Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, right, celebrates his overtime goal, next to New York Islanders defenseman Mike Reilly (2) during an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. The Panthers won 3-2. (AP Photo/John Munson)

ELMONT, N.Y. โ€”ย Oliver Ekman-Larsson snapped the game-winning wrister on an odd-man rush 1:57 into overtime, lifting the Florida Panthers to a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday night at UBS Arena.ย 

Kyle Palmieri tied the game with 1:29 remaining, one-timing a Noah Dobson cross-ice pass from the left post to force overtime for the Islanders. A bit of good fortune was involved because Palmieri didnโ€™t get all of the shot, but it went off Panthers goalie Anthony Stolarzโ€™s mask and in to rescue at least a point.

โ€œIt was a great pass by [Dobson],โ€ Palmieri said. โ€œI was just trying to get a piece of it and get it toward the net. Fortunate bounce.โ€

Stolarz, however, made a key play in fueling the Panthersโ€™ game-winner in overtime. Following a Brock Nelson shot from the left circle, the Florida netminder feigned covering the puck but instead quickly played it out to Evan Rodriguez, who started the rush down the right wing and found Ekman-Larsson for the winner.

โ€œHe just made a great play,โ€ Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said of Stolarzโ€™s quick thinking. โ€œWe couldโ€™ve made a little bit better of a change but their D jumped into the rush. Could we have played the 1-on-2 a little bit different? Yeahโ€ฆ But we had our chances before. Thatโ€™s how I see it.โ€

Both of the Panthersโ€™ regulation goals came via the power play, capitalizing on a second-period Mathew Barzal hook and an ill-timed Samuel Bolduc trip early in the third period โ€” the latter resulting in Matthew Tkachukโ€™s man-advantage goal 5:59 into the final stanza.

โ€œWe have to get rid of those,โ€ Roy said of the penalties. โ€œI think when our guys start to understand that we canโ€™t take penaltiesโ€ฆ then I…

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