2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers Game 1 at New York Islanders

Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020 | Scotiabank Arena | 4 PM (ET) Television: Fox Sports Florida | FOX Sports GO | NBCSN Radio: 560 WQAM | 850 WFTL | 100.3 WCTH | 1370 WAXE | SIRIUSXM 91/STREAMING 938 

PANTHERS vs. ISLANDERS ALL-TIME vs. NYI

(PLAYOFFS): 2-4 ALL-TIME ROAD vs. NYI

(PLAYOFFS): 1-2 ALL-TIME vs. NYI

(REGULAR SEASON): 51-32-8-11 ALL-TIME ROAD vs. NYI

(REGULAR SEASON): 25-19-2-6 2019-20 vs. NYI: 0-2-1 

FLORIDA ALL-TIME ACTIVE LEADERS VS. NY ISLANDERS (REG. SEASON)

Games Played: Boyle (42), Stralman (37), Yandle (25), Connolly (22), Huberdeau (20)

Goals: Boyle (7), Barkov/Dadonov/Hoffman (6), Yandle/Huberdeau/Haula (4) Assists: Yandle (18), Stralman (12), Huberdeau/Barkov (9) Boyle (5)

Points: Yandle (22), Barkov (15), Stralman/Huberdeau (13), Boyle (12)

Wins: Bobrovsky (16)

Shutouts: Bobrovsky (3) 

TEAM STATS (REG. SEASON) 

FLORIDA (35-26-8) NY ISLANDERS (35-23-10)

GOALS FOR 228 (6th) 189 (24th)

GOALS AGAINST 224 (T-5th) 190 (T-25th)

POWER PLAY % 21.3 (T-10th) 17.3 (T-24th)

PENALTY KILL % 78.5 (20th) 80.7 (15th)

SHOTS FOR PER-GAME 32.7 (7th) 29.6 (T-28th)

SHOTS AGAINST PER-GAME 32.3 (10th) 31.2 (17th)

5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % 49.8 (16th) 46.5 (29th) 

FACEOFF WIN % 50.3 (T-13th) 49.9 (T-17th) 

UPCOMING QUALIFIERS SCHEDULE 

DATE/TIME OPP TV RADIO

Aug. 1 – 4 PM at NY Islanders 

FS-Florida, NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVAS 

560 WQAM, 850 WFTL, WCTH-FM 100.3, SiriusXM 932

Aug. 4 – 12 PM 

FS-Florida, NBCSN, Sportsnet, TVAS 

560 WQAM, FS-640 AM, WCTH-FM 100.3, SiriusXM 932

Aug. 5 – 12 PM 

at NY Islanders 

vs. NY 

FS-Florida, NBCSN, Sportsnet, 

560 WQAM, FS-640 AM, WCTH-FM 100.3, SiriusXM 932

Games 4 & 5 scheduled for Aug. 7 and Aug. 9 if necessary. Times and broadcast information TBD. All FOX Sports Florida games are available on FOX Sports GO. 

CATS STATS 

• The Panthers averaged 3.30 goals per game, the sixth-most in the NHL. 

Mike Hoffman has produced 14 points (7-7-14) over 25 career postseason games. In 2019-20, Hoffman owned a team-best 10-game point streak (5-8-13) from Jan. 2 to Jan. 21. Both Hoffman (Feb. 20 to Feb. 29) and Aleksander Barkov (Oct. 30 to Nov. 10) each produced team-leading five-game goal streaks in 2019-20. 

Erik Haula has posted 22 points (9-13-22) over 44 career playoff games. 

MacKenzie Weegar produced a career-highs in goals (7) and points (18) over 45 games in 2019-20, while Mark Pysyk who spent much of the season at forward, produced career- bests in goals (9) and points (18) over 58 games and owned a 14.1 shooting percentage. 

POSTSEASON REMATCH The Panthers return to the postseason for the first time since 2016, when they faced the New York Islanders in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Cats fell to NYI in six games (2-4) in that series, with three losses occurring in OT and the final two in 2-OT. Aleksander Barkov (2-1- 3), Aaron Ekblad (0-1-1), Jonathan Huberdeau (1-2-3) and Mike Matheson (0-1-1) all played for the Panthers during the 2016 playoffs. 

AGAINST THE ISLES Aleksander Barkov is FLA’s active points leader vs. NYI, with 15 (6-9-15) over 17 regular season games. Jonathan Huberdeau owns the second-most with 13 (4-9-13) in 20 contests. Evgenii Dadonov has produced nine points (6-3-9) over nine career games vs. NYI including two points (1-1-2) in three games in 2019-20. Since joining FLA in 2016-17, Keith Yandle has produced 14 points (3-11-14) over 12 games in a Panthers uniform vs. NYI. In his career vs. NYI, Yandle has produced 22 points (4-18-22) over 25 games. The Panthers own a 4-1-1 mark over their last six road games against NYI. 

2019-20 RECAP In Florida’s first season with Head Coach Joel Quenneville behind the bench, the Panthers earned a 35-26-8 record (78 pts). 30 of Florida’s wins were achieved in regulation. The Panthers recorded a season-high six-game winning streak from Jan. 9 to Jan. 21, in which the club earned victories over VAN, TOR, LAK, DET, MIN and CHI. 

ROAD WARRIORS FLA did not lose a game when leading after two periods on the road in 2019-20. Away from BB&T Center, the Cats scored the second-most third period road goals (46), the seventh-most goals per game (3.18), the eighth-highest power-play success rate (22.0), and the seventh-highest points percentage (.588, 18-12-4 record). From Jan. 1 to the end of the regular season, the Panthers scored 56 goals over 17 road games, tying them for the second-most road goals scored in 2020. Over that span, the Cats allowed 2.71 road goals per game, tying them for the eighth- least goals allowed on the road. 

ON THE OFFENSIVE Florida finished sixth in the NHL for goals for (228) and goals for per game (3.30), while tying for 10th in power play percentage (21.3) and ranking seventh in shots per game (32.7). The Panthers completed the 2019-20 season as one of two teams (WPG) to have five players reach the 20- goal mark. Mike Hoffman (29), Evgenii Dadonov (25), Jonathan Huberdeau (23), Aleksander Barkov (20) and Noel Acciari (20) each registered 20 or more goals for FLA. 

CONN YOU DIG IT? Brett Connolly won the Stanley Cup in 2018 with the Washington Capitals, coached by now- Islanders Head Coach Barry Trotz. Over the 24 games he played during that playoff run, the native of Campbell River, BC, produced nine points (6-3-9). He has competed in 38 career postseason NHL games, producing 11 points (8-3-11). During his first season with FLA, he recorded 33 points (19-14-33) and appeared in all 69 games. 

FINAL FRONTIER Brian Boyle (114) and Anton Stralman (104) each have played over 100 Stanley Cup Playoff games and have each reached the Stanley Final twice together (2014 – NYR, 2015 – TBL). The two have notched 30 points (15-15-30) and 26 points (6-20-26) respectively in the playoffs. Additionally, three Panthers players have reached the Stanley Cup Final over the last two seasons, Noel Acciari (2019 – BOS), Erik Haula (2018 – VGK) and Brett Connolly who won the Stanley Cup in 2018 with WSH. 

COACH Q Head Coach Joel Quenneville enters the postseason standing second all-time in playoff games coached (215) and third all-time in playoff game wins (118), leading all active head coaches. ‘Coach Q’ has won the Stanley Cup three times as a head coach (2010, 2013, 2015) and once as an assistant coach (1996). Quenneville is five playoff wins shy of passing former NYI Head Coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Al Arbour (123) for second in NHL history. The native of Windsor, Ontario, ranks second all-time in regular season games coached (1,705) and wins (925). 

CAT TRICKS The Panthers posted five hat tricks in 2019-20, matching FLA’s single-season record from 1999- 00. Mike Hoffman, Noel Acciari (2X), Frank Vatrano, and Mark Pysyk all recorded at least one three-goal performance. Acciari’s consecutive hat tricks from Dec. 16-20 made him just the second Panther in franchise history to do so since Pavel Bure accomplished the feat Feb. 10-14, 2001. Acciari’s second hat trick came in a 3:59 span in the second period against DAL, the fastest hat trick in franchise history, and was capped off with a shorthanded penalty shot goal. 

JONNY B. GOOD Jonathan Huberdeau‘s 78 points (23-55-78) in 69 games in 2019-20 led FLA and propelled him to the top of the Panthers’ all-time franchise assists (289) and points (437) lists. He surpassed Stephen Weiss for the franchise assists record, including his 250th assist, with three helpers in FLA’s 4-3 win over NYR on Nov. 16. The victory also marked Joel Quenneville‘s 900th win as a head coach, becoming just the second coach to do so after Scotty Bowman. The All-Star forward surpassed Olli Jokinen‘s franchise points record of 419 with a two-point performance (1- 1-2) in FLA’s 8-4 win vs. TOR on Jan. 12. 

THE CAPTAIN Panthers Captain Aleksander Barkov finished second on FLA in points (20-42-62), while owning a team-best 54.3 faceoff win percentage. The native of Tampere, Finland, stands third in franchise history for goals (155) and points (407), while ranking second in assists (252). Over 479 games since entering the NHL in 2013-14, Barkov leads all Finnish-born NHLers in goals, assists, points and game-winning goals (27). 

BACK ON THE CASE Sergei Bobrovsky owns a 16-10-0 career record against NYI, posting a 2.18 goals against average, a .928 save percentage, and three shutouts over those contests. In 2019-20, Bobrovsky led FLA with 23 wins and 50 games played, including an eight-game point streak (5-0-3) over eight starts from Oct. 11 to Nov. 2. In the 2018-19 playoffs with CBJ, Bobrovsky recorded a .925 save percentage and a 6-4 record, including a four-game sweep over President’s Trophy-winning TBL in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. 

NOEL’S GOALS Noel Acciari set career-bests in goals (20), points (27), shots (108), and shooting percentage (18.5) in his first season with FLA. The Johnston, RI, native also led the team in game-winning goals (5), even-strength goals (19), and hits (121), and led all NHL forwards in blocked shots (103), the third-most by an NHL forward in a season since the stat began being recorded in 2005-06. Acciari notched four points (2-2-4) in 19 playoff games with BOS in 2018-19. 

EK’S GON’ GIVE IT TO YA Aaron Ekblad set career-bests in assists (36), and points (41), while leading FLA in time on ice per game (22:59) and plus-minus (+12) in 2019-20. The Windsor, Ontario, native also led FLA’s defensemen in even-strength points (34) and shots on goal (147). 

TOO HOT TO YANDLE Keith Yandle led Florida’s defensemen in points (45) and power-play points (21), while his 40 assists were tied for fifth-most by an NHL D-man this season. The Boston, Mass., native has appeared in 51 career playoff games including trips to the Western Conference Final (2012 – PHX) and Eastern Conference Final (2015- NYR). Yandle’s 866 consecutive regular season games played marks the longest active ‘iron man’ streak in the NHL and the fourth-longest in NHL history.