Panthers Enter Game 4 With Islanders Down 2-1 In Series
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BROOKLYN (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – The Florida Panthers are hoping to make the 2016 playoffs very familiar to the way it went for the New York Islanders last season.
New York only need to look back to their first-round loss to Washington in 2015 in an effort to avoid getting ahead of themselves in this year's set with the Panthers.
Both playoff series have followed the same path in the early going, with the Islanders splitting a pair on the road and claiming an overtime victory in the third contest heading into Wednesday's Game 4 against the visiting Panthers.
"All of us have been through it another year, and that experience goes a long way," said captain John Tavares, who set up a pair of tallies in New York's 4-3 overtime win on Sunday to extend his point streak to seven games (six goals, nine assists).
"It's amazing how much more you understand the ebbs and flows of a playoff series, game to game, day to day, even period to period. I think we're just well prepared."
The Islanders need to up the ante on their preparation for Florida's Reilly Smith, who has recorded eight points (four goals, four assists) in the series - including three (one goal, two assists) in Game 3.
"Reilly was awesome," Panthers coach Gerard Gallant said. "Every game, that line's been real good for us. He's contributed big time and put pucks in the net."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, USA, SN, TVAS2, FSN Florida, MSG-Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE PANTHERS: While Gallant praised the second line of Smith, Nick Bjugstad and Jussi Jokinen, the coach was quick to compliment the top line of Jaromir Jagr, Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau as well.
"They're playing well, they're working hard, they're getting all kinds of chances, so what can you do?" Gallant said of the three players, who have combined for just four points (one goal, three assists).
Although Jagr recorded 27 goals and a team-high 66 points in the regular season, the future Hall of Famer has not scored in his last 34 playoff games and has been held without a point in each contest of the series.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS: Thomas Hickey didn't just give New York the upper hand in the series on Sunday, the defenseman also made history by becoming the lone player in franchise history to score both his first career regular-season goal and first playoff tally in overtime.
Rookie blue-liner Ryan Pulock also netted his first postseason goal in Game 3 and followed that up with an assist on Shane Prince's tally six minutes later.
"I think at this point right now, this is the best I've felt," Pulock told the team's website. "Every game you get more comfortable, more confident … to be able to play here quite a bit lately, it's really helped with that."
OVERTIME
- New York RW Kyle Okposo set up a pair of tallies in Game 3 and has two goals and nine assists in his last seven contests.
- Florida C Vincent Trocheck (foot) practiced on Tuesday but will not play in Game 4, Gallant told reporters.
- The Islanders are 7-2 in series in which they held a 2-1 advantage, losing only to Toronto in 1978 and Washington last year.
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