Islanders vs. Panthers: Top 3 players who need to step up for each team

Which players do the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers need more from i the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

This upcoming Saturday, the New York Islanders will be going head to head with the Florida Panthers in a best of five series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, reigniting a playoff rivalry created back in 2016.

In 2016, the Islanders knocked off the Panthers four games to two to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1993. Former captain and now life-long enemy John Tavares scored the crucial goal in double overtime to seal the series.

These two teams are polar opposites, with the Islanders playing in a defensive-driven system under head coach Barry Trotz, while the Panthers focus heavily on the offensive side of the puck under Joel Quenneville. And while the coaching matchup in itself is a storyline, each team has a few players that need to step up to help their sides come out on top.

Florida Panthers

Mike Hoffman

Soon to be unrestricted-free agent, Mike Hoffman has enjoyed the last two years in Florida, scoring 55 goals, while also registering 64 assists in 151 games. That being said, the now 30-year-old has not played in a playoff game since the 2016-17 campaign with the Ottawa Senators.

The playoffs are the perfect time for a player to showcase their talent to the rest of the league, especially one in need of a new contract.

Due to the talent upfront on this Florida Panther team, Hoffman has been playing second-line minutes, with centerman Erik Haula (acquired at the deadline in Vincent Trocheck deal with CAR) and left winger Jonathan Huberdeau.

Hoffman can really shine in a series against the Islanders due to the quickness of his shot, and his willingness to shoot from any angle.  His ability to read plays is remarkable and his creativity is what keeps opposing netminders guessing.

The defense he will be going up against has been the reason why the Islanders are in this play-in series to begin with, not allowing many goals this season for the second straight year. So when Hoffman gets the chance, his quick release is sure to bode well.

Sergei Bobrovsky

In his first season after signing a mega seven-year, $70 million dollar deal, Sergei Bobrovsky has been anything but impressive. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner saw himself set career worsts in both goals-against averages (3.23 GAA) and save percentage (.900 SV %).

And while he is on a team that allows the tenth highest shots against per game at 32.3, Bobrovsky has not looked like himself.

Bob has the ability to showcase that he still has what it takes at 32-year of age to get back to fundamentals and help this on the rise team do something special in the playoffs. He did it last year with a Columbus Blue Jackets team that barely got in, so why not shock the hockey world again this year?

Despite the lack of scoring, the Islanders score on 51.14% on their chances according to Natural Stat Trick and Bobrovsky will have to make big saves to shut the door.

Aaron Ekblad

On a team looking to take the next step as a franchise, Aaron Ekblad, at the young age of 24, is a bonafide leader on the backend. The former first overall pick has been a workhorse since making it to the NHL, missing only a handful of games over his six-year career.

Regardless of his age, Ekblad sees an “A” stitched on to his jersey every time he hits the ice, as leadership will be a main focal point throughout this series.

The Panthers are a very offensively driven hockey club, but what many do not realize is that it is not just the forwards that get in on the fun. Despite setting a career-low in the goals department with just five, Ekblad set a career-high in assists with 31, which helped him set a new career-high in points with 41. For coach Quenneville, this is a guy he trusts to be out of the ice for over 22:00 minutes per game.

And even on a team that saw many goals enter the net due to the struggles of Bobrovsky, Ekblad was able to own a plus/- of +12. Now this statistic does not reflect the skill of a player like many other statistics do, but it goes to show how, when he is on the ice, his team does much better defensively.  He also does not rack up penalties, which means he is in the right spot and uses his stick and body correctly to win puck battles and break up opposing plays.

Ekblad has the ability to contribute offensively, as he has the moves and speed to create time and space.

The Panthers are not going up against a high-octane offense by any means. But that does not mean that defense does not have to be at a premium when guys like Mat Barzal are on the ice. The best defense is offense, and when Ekblad is on the ice, his team possesses the puck 52.2 % of the time.

Final Thoughts for Florida

The Florida Panthers are going to do well in this series if they can light the lamp early in games and focus more on the defensive side of the puck, which was a struggle this year.  And despite their opponent’s inability to score, when given time and space, this Islander team can do damage, especially against a netminder whose confidence seems to be at an all-time low.

New York Islanders

Adam Pelech

Once the season got underway back in October, it was clear Adam Pelech worked hard to improve on the defensive side of the puck, quickly emerging as one of the best defensemen on this hockey club.

But this promising season turned into a nightmare when an off-ice injury put the 25-year old on the shelf for what was supposed to be the remainder of the season. Statistics do not lie, as Pelech in and out of the lineup was a game-changer for this Islander team.

In the lineup, the team owned a record of 25-10-3, scoring 3.0 goals per game, while only allowing 2.63 goals. But in his absence a10-13-7 record, scoring just 2.63 goals per game, while allowing 3.13 goals per game.

With his return, it is almost as if the Islanders acquired a top-talent player to make a serious playoff run. While he has not played in an NHL game since Dec. 31, the important thing is that he is truly healthy and should slot in on the top defensive pairing with his usual partner Ryan Pulock.

Playoff hockey is way more tight-knit than regular season hockey and with a player like Pelech, his ability to break up odd-man rushes and forces opposing forwards to the outsides, takes a lot of pressure off whoever head coach Barry Trotz decides to go with in net.

Casey Cizikas

Last season, we saw Casey Cizikas net a career-high 20 goals, setting a career-high in points as well with 33. Oh, and a plus/- of +22, to add to those tremendous statistics. In last year’s playoffs, the 29-year old centerman had a rough time continuing his strong play. He failed to record a single point while carrying a plus/- of -9.

And this season, Cizikas did not have a real chance to show if he could be a consistent 20 goal-scorer in this league. After playing 48 games, he would hit the shelf for the remainder of the season after being cut by a skate. In those 48 games, Cizikas scored 10 goals and four assists.

But the biggest reason he is on the list is not because of individual play, but because he is the center on one of the most powerful fourth lines in hockey. With Matt Martin to his left and Cal Clutterbuck to his right, this line generates a tremendous amount of momentum. Head coach Barry Trotz has enough trust to throw these guys out against players like Connor McDavid and Sidney Crosby without having to even give it a second thought.

If this fourth line, which has not been healthy for the majority of the year can come back into form, then things bode very well for this Islander team. The Florida Panthers have a high-octane offense.

This fourth line has the ability to set the tone not just for the first period, not just for the first game, but for a series. And this team is going to need structured defense and momentum if they want to shut a Florida team down that sits 6th in the NHL in goals per game (3.30).

Regardless if he wears a letter or not, Cizikas is a born leader and knows what he and his team need to do to have success.

https://twitter.com/NYIslanders/status/1226954376826310656

Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Acquired back on Feb. 24 from the Ottawa Senators, centerman Jean-Gabriel Pageau has truly struggled to find his game in his new home. General manager Lou Lamoriello and staff believed bringing this player in, who was in the midst of a career-year, could help wake this team up offensively.

And while he was able to score in his debut against the New York Rangers on Feb. 26, the team was winless with him in the lineup (0-3-4) before the season came to a halt. In this Ranger game, we saw what Pageau is willing to do for his teammates.

Pageau, once acquired, was signed to a long-term extension. The team believes he can bring much-needed depth at the center role and this depth will be heavily tested in this year’s playoffs.

The eight-year veteran truly figured it out this season offensively, but his knack for coming through in big moments has always been there.

This Islander team needs him to be that guy in the playoffs. A guy who shows that he will do what it takes to get to loose pucks and draw all eyes on him so he can give his teammates some space to generate even more offense.

This is what he was brought in to do. We saw last season, the offense completely disintegrates against the Carolina Hurricanes in the playoffs, leading to a sweep in the second round. And with Pageau more comfortable with his linemates and the system, prepare to see him do well in this year’s playoffs.

Final Thoughts

The Islanders enter the qualifying series on a seven-game losing streak (0-3-4). Regardless of the time that has elapsed since then, this team, like every team, has only practiced against their own.

That being said, how does a team know what they are practicing will be effective against some other team. You may ask, well that’s every game. But a team that was rolling before the hockey hiatus knows that their gameplan was working against opponents and may only need light tweaking.