The Florida Panthers went their second shootout in less than week, but they were on the other end of this weekend and fell to the New York Islanders 3-2 in the extra session. Jose Theodore was dazzling for the Cats, stopping 35 of 37 shots but Evgeni Nabokov stuffed all three Florida attempts in the shootout and sealed the win for the Isles.
The Cats took their first lead of the game mid way through the third period when Tomas Fleischmann scored his 24th goal of the season to give Florida the 2-1 lead. But Kyle Okposo would respond for the Islanders less than three minutes later to even it up at 2-2. In the shootout, Franz Nielsen would beat Theodore in the first round to give the Isles the advantage. John Madden and Wojtek Wolski could not sneak one past Nabokov and Marcel Goc would miss the net in the Cats final attempt.
With the Capitals three-goal win over Minnesota, the Panthers now have just a three-point lead over the Caps in the Southeast Division. The Panthers now continue their road trip northward and will face the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.
For all the latest news on the Florida Panthers, stop by Litter Box Cats. For more on the New York Islanders, go to Lighthouse Hockey. Still not enough hockey coverage for you? Head over to the SB Nation NHL Hub Page for all the latest news on all 30 teams leading up to the playoffs and beyond.