Panthers In Must-Win Mode As Islanders Try To Clinch Series
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BROOKLYN (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – History will either be made on Sunday night in Brooklyn or postponed to Tuesday night in Sunrise.
The New York Islanders can advance in the playoffs for the first time in 23 years on Sunday when they host Game 6 of their first-round series with the Florida Panthers.
Florida hasn't advanced to the second round since 1996, and will have a chance to do so by forcing a seventh and deciding game.
The Islanders survived several anxious moments on Friday as Thomas Greiss (47 saves) denied Aleksander Barkov on a penalty shot in the first overtime before rookie Alan Quine's one-timer beat Roberto Luongo exactly 16 minutes into the second extra session to secure the 2-1 win.
The back-and-forth series shifts to the Barclays Center, where New York posted an impressive 25-11-5 mark during the regular season before splitting Games 3 and 4 with Atlantic Division-champion Florida.
The Islanders have won all six of their opportunities in franchise history when hosting a Game 6 with a chance to clinch a series.
Although his team trails in the set, Panthers coach Gerard Gallant hasn't had much issue with his team's compete level in the series.
"I can't tell them to play much better," Gallant told reporters. "They're playing their game, they're working hard and they're competing. It's not like we're not playing well."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCSN, CBC, TVAS, SUN (Florida), MSG-Plus (New York)
ABOUT THE PANTHERS: Nick Bjugstad is listed as day-to-day after losing an edge and falling face-first into the boards early in the second overtime on Friday.
"He got looked at (on Friday night), he got looked at (Saturday) morning like all the other players that are banged up, and then I'll know from there," Gallant told reporters of Bjugstad, whose four points (two goals, two assists) are second only to Reilly Smith (four goals, four assists). "But I haven't been told he's not (playing) and I haven't been told he is."
Veteran Shawn Thornton and fellow forwards Quinton Howden and Gregg McKegg are candidates to play on Sunday should Bjugstad sit out.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS: Signed in the summer to be Jaroslav Halak's backup, Greiss has loomed large as New York is in position to clinch its first postseason victory since it defeated Washington and Pittsburgh to advance to the 1993 Wales Conference final.
The 30-year-old German has stopped 74-of-77 shots in the last two contests and yielded just 12 goals in the series.
"I'm seeing pucks just fine," said Greiss, who made a sparkling left pad save on Barkov's penalty shot. "Couple other games, the puck bounces in."
OVERTIME
- New York C Frans Nielsen shares the team lead in goals (three) with captain John Tavares despite mustering just one in 27 career contests versus Florida.
- Panthers C Vincent Trocheck logged 31:24 of ice time on Friday in his first action since sustaining a foot injury on March 29.
- The Islanders are 5-for-18 on the power play in this series after going 2-for-34 in both the 2013 and 2015 playoffs.
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