An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) handles the puck during the first period of a game against the Florida Panthers, Image 2 shows New York Islanders player Brayden Schenn (10) celebrates his goal with teammates Matthew Schaefer (48) and Calum Ritchie (64)
With the stakes rising each day as the regular season barrels toward its end, this game qualified as one the Islanders needed. The Panthers were just one of two opponents remaining that are truly out of the postseason race. Everyone else still had something to play for.
For 20 minutes, the Islanders failed to match the occasion. They trailed against a backup goaltender. And then their best offensive period of the season saved them.
The Islanders erupted for five goals during the second — with contributions from just about everyone — and cruised to a 5-2 win to temporarily climb into second place in the Metropolitan Division entering Saturday evening’s games, remaining above the playoff cutoff. It marked their most goals in a period since February 2022, fueled by their most shots on goal (24) in a period this season.
Brayden Schenn (one goal, two assists) had his most productive game since joining the Islanders. Matthew Schaefer tied Stefan Persson (1977-78) for most points by a rookie defenseman in a season with two assists, giving him 56. The fourth line continued its strong play with Marc Gatcomb and Casey Cizikas both scoring.
“What I love about that period is when we made it a 3-2 game, we kept going at them,” head coach Patrick Roy said. “We didn’t lay off. We kept going and we score that fourth one and that fifth one. That’s the killer instinct that sometimes you like to have on your team.”
Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) handles the puck during the first period of a game against the Florida Panthers at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
It was the type of win that flashes depth, the type of top-to-bottom contributions teams vying to do damage in the postseason need. Ten different Islanders skaters finished with a point.
Amid a rocky stretch, the Islanders will now enter a critical showdown with the Penguins on Monday with some momentum.
That wasn’t always a guarantee, though. By the time the horn sounded at the end of the opening period, they trailed by two goals, with Matthew Tkachuk accounting for both. On the first, the Panthers star sneaked behind Adam Boqvist. This was something Roy said the Islanders knew could happen going into the match. The Islanders defenseman made a pass to keep the puck in the offensive zone, and Tkachuk ended up with a breakaway, flipping the puck past Ilya Sorokin just over eight minutes into the game.
Then, around six minutes later, Ondrej Palat and Scott Mayfield collided in the defensive zone, and Tkachuk gained possession with a clear lane to Sorokin. He dragged the puck between his legs and sent a nifty shot into the net.
Islanders player Brayden Schenn (10) celebrates his goal with teammates Matthew Schaefer (48) and Calum Ritchie (64). Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
But everything shifted in the second. The Islanders dominated with 24 shots. The Panthers only managed five — and never maintained consistent possession. At the 5:28 mark, Gatcomb cut through center ice and veered down the right side for a shot that managed to dribble past Daniil Tarasov.
Just under seven minutes later, Calum Ritchie hit Schenn driving to the net, and their trade-deadline acquisition flipped a puck in for his third goal since joining the Islanders. Simon Holmstrom followed on the power play, with Schaefer picking up his record-tying assist. Emil Heineman and Cizikas capped the scoring.
The Islanders’ message between periods? Don’t wait for the third period like they did in Tuesday’s loss to the Blackhawks, Schenn said, when their comeback attempt was too late to matter.
“You have to turn it on right now,” Schenn said of the message. “Come in and put pucks on net and get bodies there. [The Panthers are] obviously missing bodies, but they’re still gonna play the right way over there, and you have to play them hard and play the right way. And we did that, we got rewarded.”
The Islanders rolled in the second period on Saturday. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
There will certainly be tougher tests awaiting the Islanders as they try to sneak into the playoff field. A pair of upcoming back-to-backs — against the Penguins and Sabres, against the Flyers and Hurricanes — will challenge everything from goaltending plans to whether this burst of offense is sustainable.
But the reality facing the Islanders after the opening frame Saturday was dire. And they made sure it didn’t devolve into a loss that could haunt them three weeks from now.
“Gats threw it on net there, got a bounce,” Schenn said, “and then I think we obviously took the game over from there.”