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Islanders-Panthers Preview

Oct 22, 2010 - 9:26 PM By JEFF BARTL STATS Writer

New York (4-1-2) at Florida (2-3-0), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The New York Islanders have gone into overtime four of seven games thus far. They didn't mind waiting a few extra minutes for a victory in their last contest.

New York tries to win four straight for the first time since January and snap an 0-6-1 road skid against the Florida Panthers on Saturday night.

After a 10-minute video review, the officials declared Matt Moulson's shot 1:56 into overtime fully crossed the goal line to give the Islanders a 3-2 win at Tampa on Thursday.

"We were coming up with faceoff plays," Moulson said. "I think we were trying to think it wasn't a goal ... maybe reverse psychology there."

The Islanders (4-1-2) have been one of the most surprising teams after finishing 2009-10 with 79 points - third-fewest in the Eastern Conference. A victory Saturday would give New York its fifth win, something it took 14 games to accomplish last season.

The Islanders are coming off back-to-back overtime victories, and second-year center John Tavares, who sat out three games with a concussion, has two goals and two assists in three games since returning to the lineup.

Right wing P.A Parenteau has recorded a point in all but two games and leads the team with seven.

New York faces a Florida squad which has scored more goals (13) than it's allowed (9), but the Panthers still find themselves in last place in the Southeast Division with a 2-3-0 record.

Tomas Vokoun, coming off back-to-back shutouts, was pulled after the second period of Florida's 4-1 loss to Dallas on Thursday after allowing four goals on 23 shots. He was replaced by Scott Clemmensen, who made his season debut.

It was the Panthers' first game in five days after playing their first four in seven days.

"That's not an excuse, time off," coach Pete DeBoer said. "It's disappointing. Our effort, our preparation, our attention to detail, we got beat (Thursday) at all the things that we're supposed to be taking pride in, outworking teams and attention to detail."

Florida allowed the first four goals of the game until Stephen Weiss' tally broke the shutout with just over three minutes remaining in the third period.

"I don't know if we can take much out of that game," Weiss said. "Just a little sloppy, a little flat-footed at times. They took advantage of the chances they got and put us away. I don't think it was for a lack of effort, but just a little static at times and it came back to bite us."

The Panthers may need a much better effort Saturday, no matter who is in net for the Islanders.

Dwayne Roloson (2-1-0, 1.65 goals-against average) and Rick DiPietro (2-0-2) have played a large role in the team's improvement, though neither goaltender has been exceptionally sharp against Florida. Roloson has won only six of 11 starts while DiPietro has won six of 14.

Saturday will mark the third in a stretch of 10 of 12 games away from home for the Islanders.

"This whole month, we're going to be on the road a lot so just to get over the hump and get a win on the road early in the season is always great for the team's confidence," Roloson told the Islanders' official website.

Florida took three of four from New York last season, and the Islanders haven't won in Sunrise, Fla., since Nov. 18, 2006.