January 6, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Florida Panthers coach Paul Morris watches the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Image The Florida Panthers, two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, need no reminder that five of the eight teams currently occupying a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference missed the postseason last year.
And the Panthers will get another glimpse of the team trying to claim their spot in the tournament Sunday night when Florida opens a four-game road trip with a visit to the surging New York Islanders in Elmont, New York.
The Panthers lost 3-2 to the visiting Buffalo Sabers on Friday night. The Islanders are coming off a straight set after overcoming a two-goal deficit Saturday night to take a 4-3 lead over the host Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime.
Friday’s loss was the sixth in eight games for the Panthers (2-6-0), which leaves them eight points behind the Boston Bruins in the race for the second wild card spot with 23 games remaining.
The Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Sabers (the latter finished second in the Atlantic Division) all missed the playoffs last year.
The reigning Stanley Cup champion hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2015, when the Los Angeles Kings finished two points behind a tournament berth.
Frequent injuries have jeopardized the Panthers’ quest for the NHL’s first three championships since the Islanders won four straight Stanley Cups from 1980-83. Captain Aleksander Barkov has yet to play due to a right knee injury suffered in training camp, and Matthew Tkachuk has played in just 12 games after offseason surgery for a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle. Tkachuk and Barkov were Florida’s second and third leading scorers, respectively, last season.
The Panthers’ fortunes haven’t improved since returning from the Olympic break. Right winger Cole Schwindt will be sidelined indefinitely after sustaining a lower-body injury during Thursday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, while Uvis Balinskis was scheduled to be evaluated Saturday after sitting out Friday’s game due to an injury.
“There’s no faking the effort,” Panthers coach Paul Morris said. “We are doing our best.”
Simon Holmstrom’s goal 1:47 into overtime on Saturday continued a pair of trends for the Islanders, who featured plenty of come-from-behind wins and extra session drama in their bid to return to the playoffs for the first time in a year.
New York is tied for second in the Metropolitan Division with the Pittsburgh Penguins with two games remaining. The Penguins failed to make the playoffs last season either.
Saturday’s win was the Islanders’ fourth straight win after three wins, including a 4-3 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night when New York came from down 2-0 in Game 2.
Holmstrom’s goal improved the Islanders to 8-0 with the game decided in overtime. New York has fallen behind regulation in all eight of its overtime wins.
The only team in NHL history to go undefeated and have more overtime wins in a single season is the 2021 Vegas Golden Knights, who went 9-0 in overtime during a 56-game campaign shortened due to the pandemic.
“At the end of the day… I think we just stayed calm and focused on what we had to do,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. “It doesn’t matter if we fall behind, we find a way to get back in the game.”
–Field level media
