Islanders at Panthers
The New York Islanders certainly have righted the ship after entering the season with questions about their defense. New York has recorded shutouts in each of its last two games and vies for its fifth consecutive win when it visits the Florida Panthers on Friday. Jaroslav Halak became the first Islanders goaltender to post back-to-back shutouts since Rick DiPietro (Dec. 23 and 26, 2006) when he turned aside 19 shots in a 1-0 victory over Arizona on Saturday before making 20 saves in a 6-0 triumph against Colorado three nights later.
"It's a team effort, same as last game," the 29-year-old Halak told Newsday. "(The defense) blocked a lot of shots, just like they did last game. Everybody was tracking back and we didn't give up many odd-man rushes." Halak has won four in a row and eight of nine with a 1.66 goals-against average versus Florida, which snapped a three-game skid (0-2-1) with a 4-1 victory over San Jose on Tuesday. Jimmy Hayes has scored in consecutive contests as the Panthers have recorded eight goals in their last two games after mustering just 16 in their previous 11.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus 2 (New York), FSN Florida
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (10-5-0): Travis Hamonic and Nick Leddy each scored in New York's rout of the Avalanche, pushing the goal total to 10 by the team's defensemen this season. By comparison, New York received 23 tallies from its blue-liners in all of 2013-14. Hamonic netted a power-play goal his last meeting with Florida, a 4-2 triumph on April 1 to help the Islanders salvage the finale of the three-game season series.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (5-4-4): Scottie Upshall collected two goals and an assist in Florida's 6-4 setback to Calgary on Saturday before setting up a tally against San Jose. The 31-year-old had two goals and three assists in the Panthers' two victories over the Islanders last season. Roberto Luongo has yielded nine goals in his last five contests overall (3-1-1) but owns an 8-10-2 career record versus the team that selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 1997 draft.
OVERTIME
1. With a victory on Friday, New York would tie a franchise record by winning 11 of its first 16 games in the season. The Islanders have accomplished the feat on four occasions, with the last coming in 2001-02.
2. Florida LW Sean Bergenheim (lower body) practiced on Thursday and could be ready to return from a five-game absence versus his former team.
3. New York, which hasn't allowed a goal in 181 minutes, 11 seconds, is inching closer to the franchise shutout record of 199:24 set in 1988.