Islanders Learn Valuable Lesson Against Defending Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers

The Islanders' seven-game win streak came to a close on Sunday night after a 6-3 loss to the Panthers.

Winning hockey games when you are missing key players isn’t an easy task in the National Hockey League. But over the last seven games entering Sunday night’s evening affair against the Florida Panthers, the New York Islanders kept winning despite seemingly losing at least one key player from the lineup every night.

While the newly acquired defensemen jumped into the lineup and kept the winning going due to their strong play, the absence of Mathew Barzal and Scott Mayfield were two losses that the Islanders just failed to overcome, losing to Florida 6-3.

Many will look at the injury list and use that as an excuse for why the Stanley Cup champions emerged victorious. But, for those who watched the game, the Islanders could have been leaving Amerant Bank Arena with the two points.

A by-the-book start is critical against a team like Florida, especially on the second of a back-to-back. The Islanders didn’t get that, struggling early. This allowed the Panthers to get to their game immediately, score first and second, and dictate the opening 20 minutes.