Florida Panthers vs New York Islanders Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Preview

Florida Panthers vs New York Islanders Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Preview, Prediction, Team Comparison, X-Factors

Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on Thursday night at 8:00PM (EST) in the second match-up with the Florida Panthers vs New York Islanders. Florida is coming off a franchise best season for points, claiming the Atlantic Division in the process. The Panthers haven’t won a playoff round since 1995-96, but will look to break the 20-year drought against the Islanders.

Heading into Sunday, New York controlled their own destiny. With a win, they would have faced Pittsburgh and one of Washington/or Philadelphia in the second round. With a loss, an assumed easier route would face them with Florida in round one, and one of Tampa Bay/or Detroit in the second. They dropped their final game 5-2 to Philadelphia, and will get exactly what they asked for – whether or not it yields a favorable result, time will tell.

Injury Report (IR – Injured Reserve, DTD – Day-to-Day)

Vincent Trocheck FLA (DTD) – He has been spotted wearing a walking boot recently, and did not practice on Monday. His status for game one is likely doubtful even though he is considered questionable.

Willie Mitchell FLA (IR) – Said to be dealing with concussion related symptoms, it’s unclear when/or if Mitchell will be back. His NHL future may be in question.

Dave Bolland FLA (IR) – He was relegated to the AHL, and only played 25 games for Florida in 2015-16. GM Dave Tallon suggests he will need to see a specialist in May to attempt to fix a nagging ankle injury.

Anders Lee NYI (IR) – He was lost to a fractured leg last week and will be out indefinitely. This is a devastating loss for the Islanders.

Mikhail Grabovski NYI (IR) – He resumed skating in late March recovering from a concussion, but experienced a setback last week. Grabovski is out indefinitely.

Travis Hamonic NYI (DTD) – After dealing with a knee injury that sidelined him down the final stretch, it sounds as though he will be available to play on Thursday night.

Brian Strait NYI (DTD) – Strait was dealing with an upper-body injury towards the end of the regular season. He will likely be available for game one (if needed).

Jaroslav Halak NYI (IR) – Dealing with a knee injury, Halak is officially ruled out for the first round. Thomas Greiss will carry the load in his absence.

Jean-Francois Berube NYI (DTD) – He missed the remainder of the season with a lower-body injury. Berube is expected to be available to assume backup duties on Thursday night.

Florida Panthers vs New York Islanders: Team Comparison

Goaltending:

Roberto Luongo/Al Montoya vs. Thomas Greiss/Jean-Francois Berube

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Largely expected to fade away into the background down in Florida, Roberto Luongo has achieved the complete opposite. He has been nothing short of a brick-wall for the Panthers since re-joining the organization. His stats in 2015-16 are comparable to others being named in the Vezina Trophy conversation.

The Islanders will be without their starter in the opening round. Thomas Greiss is expected to carry the load, which he managed to do for much of the 2015-16 season. He collected 23 wins in 38 starts, generating a 2.36GAA and .925 save percentage. Greiss will be tested by an underrated Panthers group that can score goals.

Advantage: Florida Panthers

One team has a goaltender in the Vezina conversation, while another turns to their backup – Advantage Florida.

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Defense:

Sophomore standout/2014 first overall pick Aaron Ekblad leads perhaps the most underrated defensive group in the NHL. Paired with veteran (and pending UFA) Brian Campbell, the duo are proving themselves capable of matching up head-to-head with the NHL’s best every night.

The most underrated player in this defensive group is Dmitry Kulikov. He’s a seven-year veteran known in the hockey world, but rarely appreciated lurking in the shadows on a small market team. Here’s a guy that logs over 20 minutes/night, and is arguably one of the NHL’s best two-way defensemen. He moves the puck well, and can assume a shutdown role playing on Florida’s second pairing.

Similar to their first round opponent, the Islanders too carry a fairly underrated defensive group. Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk lead the way for New York, both of which have proven themselves quality two-way defensemen.

Add shutdown d-men Travis Hamonic, Calvin de Haan, and Thomas Hickey to the mix, pairing the latter with one of Ryan Pulock (best option), Marek Zidlicky, Brian Strait, Adam Pelech, or Scott Mayfield – NYI have answers for each of Florida’s lines.

Florida gets the slight edge in overall talent, but New York is built deeper. The Islanders realistically have 10 defensemen they could dress.

Advantage: New York Islanders

Florida’s top pairing is the best duo on the back-end in this series, but New York is seven-men deep on the back-end. The Islanders will have an easier time in the match-up game with defensive pairings to Panthers forwards.

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Offense:

When Dale Tallon went out to acquire Jaromir Jagr, the thought process was bringing in a veteran presence who could help mentor his young stars Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov, among other players. Even he couldn’t have imagine it working out as well as it has. Florida will need their top line to be firing on all cylinders in round one.

Beyond Huberdeau-Barkov-Jagr, Florida have three lines that can score, and a fourth line that can grind and wear down their opponents. Jussi Jokinen remains consistent on the second line alongside newcomer Reilly Smith. Vincent Trocheck and Nick Bjugstad add stability up the middle, while trade deadline acquisitions Teddy Purcell and Jiri Hudler hope to add offense in a limited third line role.

Leading the way in Brooklyn is superstar John Tavares. If the Islanders are going to make a deep run, he will need to carry a significant amount of the load. New York was dealt a devastating blow heading into the playoffs when they lost Anders Lee to a fractured leg. They have depth to fill the void, but it’s difficult to replace 15 goals (36 points).

Players such as Shane Prince and Ryan Strome can be difference makers facing off against weaker defensive pairings. Look for Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck to stir the pot and get the intensity ramped up in a hurry.

Advantage: Florida Panthers

The advantage that Florida owns in this regard is very minimal. Both teams feature three lines that can score, and a fourth line that can agitate and bring intensity. Look for this series to be a battle-royale.

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Florida Panthers vs New York Islanders: X-Factors

Aaron Ekblad/Brian Campbell FLA – Left with the responsibility of shutting down the opposition’s best players every night, the pair will need to contain John Tavares shift-after-shift.

Nick Bjugstad FLA – Here’s a guy that saw a demotion in 2015-16 due to Vincent Trocheck’s unbelievable play. There is perhaps no other Florida player more well suited for playoff hockey than Nick Bjugstad. He plays with an edge and can score goals. If he’s playing between Purcell and Hudler on the third-line, this guy can be a major x-factor.

Thomas Greiss NYI – With Halak sidelined for the first round, the starter role falls to their backup. He proved himself more than capable in the regular season, and will need to be New York’s best player to beat the Atlantic Division winner.

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Prediction:

New York Islanders Win Series 4-3