Hoffman Scores In OT, Sends Panthers Past Islanders 3-2
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NEW YORK (CBSMiami/AP) — As far as October games go, this was a must-win for the Florida Panthers.
Mike Hoffman scored a power-play goal 33 seconds into overtime and lifted Florida to a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Wednesday night.
The winning goal was the fourth of the season for Hoffman. Frank Vatrano and Evgenii Dadonov added goals for the Panthers, who won for just the second time this season. Backup goaltender James Reimer made 20 saves in his first win of the year.
Brock Nelson and Jordan Eberle scored for the Islanders. Robin Lehner finished with 38 saves on 41 shots.
The Panthers were called for delay of game with just under three minutes left in regulation, but the Islanders wiped out that power play when Mathew Barzal was sent off for interference at 18:35. That penalty led to the power-play chance in overtime and Hoffman's goal that completed a three-goal rally by the Panthers.
Nelson and Eberle staked the Islanders to a 2-0 lead heading into the third period, but the Panthers struck twice on goals by Vatrano and Dadonov to knot the score.
Nelson opened the scoring late in the first with his third goal of the season at 18:36. Josh Bailey picked up the assist.
Eberle increased the lead at 11:42 of the second against Reimer, finishing off a pretty passing sequence with his first goal of the season. Barzal and Anders Lee assisted.
Last season's Calder Trophy winner as the league's top rookie, Barzal leads the Islanders with eight points through the team's first eight games.
The Islanders were coming off four-game road trip in which they lost three times. It was their first home game since Oct. 8, when they defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-0 when Lehner made 35 saves.
The Panthers finally broke through against Lehner at 2:46 of the third, when Vatrano knocked in a rebound for his third goal of the season.
Then, Dadonov scored his team-leading fourth goal at 10:35 to tie the game. Assists went to Aleksander Barkov and MacKenzie Weggar.
Florida was coming off a 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. The Panthers will complete their metropolitan area trip with a game against the Devils in New Jersey on Saturday before heading to Finland for two games against the Winnipeg Jets.
Florida's previous victory was a 6-5 shootout win at Washington on Oct. 19.
Lehner made 13 saves in each of the first two periods, but couldn't get through the third unscathed.
Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle played his 723rd consecutive game. He is 15 games away from passing Jay Bouwmeester (737) for sixth place in league history.
The Panthers are now 6-1-0 in their previous seven road games against the Islanders.
NOTES: The Islanders had a video tribute to Charles Wang, the team's former majority owner who passed away at 74 last Sunday. The Islanders announced their home game against Toronto on Feb. 28 - the return of former captain John Tavares - would be at Nassau Coliseum instead of Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Islanders visit the Panthers in Florida on Nov. 10 and April 4. The Islanders scratched forwards Tom Kuhnhackl and Ross Johnston, plus defenseman Lucas Sbisa. Florida scratched forward Derek MacKenzie and Denis Malgin, plus defenseman Mark Pysyk.
UP NEXT
Islanders: Visit Philadelphia on Saturday.
Panthers: Visit New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
