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Panthers look to build off win, go for second straight victory

Nov 18, 2006 - 6:00 PM NY Islanders (8-6-3) at Florida (7-9-4) 7:30 pm EST

SUNRISE, Florida (Ticker) -- The Florida Panthers go for their second straight win when they host the New York Islanders on Saturday.

The Panthers, badly in need of a win after losing four straight, pounded the Montreal Canadiens, 5-1, on Thursday.

Olli Jokinen led the Panthers with the hat trick while Nathan Horton had three assists. Ed Belfour, who had been shaky at times in his first season in Florida, stopped 27 shots.

Jokinen has nine goals and seven assists in 10 home games but has only three assists in 10 road tilts.

Belfour is 4-3-2 with a reasonably solid 2.78 goal-against average and a .903 save percentage this season. He is 14-4 with four ties in his career against the Islanders.

New York will try to bounce back from a 3-2 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday that snapped its two-game losing streak.

Seven Islanders had a crack at Tampa Bay netminder Johan Holmqvist but could not beat him. New York goaltender Rick DiPietro stopped six Lightning shooters but finally surrendered Dmitry Afanasenkov's goal to decide the game. The loss was only the second for DiPietro in his last seven games.

Radek Martinek and Mike York scored the goals for the Islanders in regulation while Holmqvist finished with 29 saves.