The sports world took a dramatic pause in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the Rudy Gobert situation in the NBA in March 2020, all major leagues took pauses in their seasons, and sports remained idle for over four months. However, these leagues started to restart in the Summer months, and the New York Islanders and NHL returned with these leagues.

In a unique playoff format, 24 teams ventured to two bubble cities, Eastern Conference to Toronto and Western Conference to Edmonton, for the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Unlike previous seasons, these playoffs featured one-off, best-of-five qualifiers for the 5-12 seeds involved, which pitted the Islanders against the Florida Panthers. Game 1 of that series took place three years ago on Tuesday, and with the recent anniversary, let’s look back on that series.

Game 1:

The aforementioned Game 1 was the typical Barry Trotz hockey game. The Islanders got a goal from Trade Deadline acquisition Jean-Gabriel Pageau in the mid-stages of the first period, and Anthony Beauvillier added to the lead early in the second. The Islanders, for the most part, suffocated the Panthers’ offense the rest of the way in this game, but had a blemish early in the third as Jonathan Huberdeau cut the lead in half. However, despite the tally, that was as close the Panthers got, as the Islanders kept the Panthers in check to finish off a 2-1 win to open to Qualifiers. Although the Islanders won, the team did lose Johnny Boychuk due to an illegal check by Mike Matheson, a play that knocked the defenseman out until the Third Round against Tampa Bay.

Game 2:

Unlike Game 1, the second game was a much more eventful affair. Florida broke the ice in this one, with Mike Hoffman scoring over 11 minutes into period one. Although the Islanders were shaky in the first, the Isles countered on a goal from Matt Martin at 6:12 of the second, with Boychuk’s replacement Andy Greene adding an assist. The tie, however, was short lived, as Aleksander Barkov gave the Panthers the lead back at 7:54 of the period. However, New York turned the game on its ear with two goals late in the middle frame, with Ryan Pulock and Jordan Eberle giving the Islanders a 3-2 lead after two. Eberle tallied another goal in the third to finish off a 4-2 win, giving New York a 2-0 stranglehold.

Game 3:

Game 3 was the lone victory Florida notched in the series, just about 24 hours after the Islanders notched their win. Like Game 1, the series was a quiet affair early, with neither team scoring until the second period. Erik Haula scored on the power play to give Florida the early edge, but Pageau notched his second of the series before the period’s end. However, two early goals in the third were the difference for Florida, as Hoffman and Brian Boyle both scored inside the first three minutes to propel Florida ahead. Brock Nelson got the Islanders within one, but that was the closest they’d get, as Florida earned a 3-2 win.

Game 4:

Despite the setback in Game 3, the Islanders responded right out of the gate two days later. Two goals from Beauvillier in the mid-stages of the first gave the Islanders a 2-0 lead, but Hoffman cut the lead in half on the power play prior to the period’s end. However, the rest of the game was all Islanders, as goals from Nelson, Mat Barzal, and Pageau helped them cruise to a 5-1 win, and 3-1 series win in the Qualifiers. New York outshot the Cats 38-25, and the strong performance earned them an official berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In front of them, a date with then-head coach Barry Trotz’s former team in the Capitals, the next step in a deep run for the team.

Stay tuned for more breaking NHL content, including offseason moves, contract updates and more news from every team.

Featured image courtesy of NHL.com

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