Florida Panthers vs New York Islanders February 2nd 2025

Looking to win big? The Islanders and Panthers face off at 6:00 ET on ESPN+. The Panthers are hosting the game at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL. This Eastern conference matchup has an over/under of 5.5 goals, and the Panthers are favored by -1.5 goals vs. the Islanders.

New York vs. Florida Key Information

• Teams: Islanders at Panthers
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena Sunrise
• Date: Sunday, February 2nd
• Betting Odds FLA -226 | NYI +184 O/U 5.5

The Islanders Can Win If…

The Islanders fell to 24-20-7 after a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. The total was set at 6 goals, and the combined 7 goals went over that line. The Islanders, as underdogs on the puck line, failed to cover.

New York fell behind 2-0 before Casey Cizikas scored at 15:22 in the second period. Brock Nelson added another goal for the Islanders with just 8 seconds left in the second, cutting the deficit to 3-2, but the Rangers pulled away with two more goals in the third.

The Islanders fired 37 shots on goal but only found the net twice in their 5-2 loss to the Rangers. Casey Cizikas scored his first goal of the season, and Brock Nelson added his fifth, with Nelson’s goal coming just 8 seconds before the end of the second period.

New York had 23 giveaways and was held scoreless in both the first and third periods. Cizikas’ goal came 4:38 into the second period, while Nelson’s followed at the 19:52 mark. The Islanders recorded 4 assists in the game.

The Islanders defense will look to bounce back after giving up five goals to the Rangers, including an empty netter with 3:23 left in the 3rd period. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves with a save percentage of 89.7%, and the Islanders’ defense added 17 hits and 12 takeaways. They’ll aim to get off to a better start after allowing the first two goals and will also look to tighten up late, as they gave up two goals in the 3rd period.

• Spanning across their last three games, New York have gone 3-0. The team has also been excellent vs the spread, going 3-0. Their over-under record in these games was 1-2.
• New York has put together a record of 8-2 in their last ten games (regular season). In these matchups, they ended with an puck line record of 8-2 and an over-under mark of 2-8.

The Panthers Can Win If…

With a 4-2 win over the Stars, the Panthers improved to 31-19-3 this season. Florida covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6 goals fell just short of the 6.5-goal line.

Four different Panthers scored in the game. After taking a 2-0 lead, Florida allowed the Stars to tie it up before pulling away with two more goals, including an empty-netter from Sam Reinhart to seal the victory.

Carolina’s offense took 25 shots on goal and scored four times in their 4-2 win over Dallas. A.J. Greer netted his first goal of the season, while Sam Reinhart added his 10th on an empty net. Earlier, Evan Rodrigues opened the scoring for the Panthers in the first period, and Matthew Tkachuk followed with his third goal of the season, which came on a power play.

The Panthers had 16 giveaways but managed to score twice in the third period. Tomás Nosek picked up his first assist of the season on Greer’s goal, while Reinhart also recorded his 11th assist on Rodrigues’ goal.

Defensively, the Panthers will look to build off a strong 3rd period in their previous game, where they didn’t allow a goal. Spencer Knight made 23 saves with a 92% save percentage, and the Panthers’ defense contributed 8 takeaways and 22 hits.

• Over their last three games, the Panthers have gone 2-1 straight up. The team has also been excellent vs the spread, going 2-1. Their over-under record in these games was 1-2.
• Florida has put together a record of 6-4 in their last ten games (regular season). Across these games, their puck line record was just 7-3, while posting an over-under record of 5-5.

The Lean

When thinking about a moneyline wager in this game, our evaluation indicates that the Panthers will take down the Islanders. Nonetheless, given the current odds of -226, I’d recommend getting bet down on the puck line instead, as our predictions point to the Panthers winning by more than one goal.

For a puck line prediction, our preference is the Panthers to secure a win and cover. Anticipate the Panthers to win this one by multiple goals over the Islanders.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.

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Islanders Look to Extend Win Streak Against Panthers

The New York Islanders are on fire, winning seven straight games, and they’ll look to keep that momentum going when they visit the Florida Panthers on Sunday.

Islanders Push for Playoff Spot

New York (29-15-6) has been making a serious push for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Their latest win, a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, moved them within three points of the final wild-card spot.

Tony DeAngelo, who signed with the Islanders just ten days ago, scored the game-winner just 33 seconds into overtime on Saturday. It was his first goal with the team.

Key Players Stepping Up:

• Kyle Palmieri has found his scoring touch again, netting goals in back-to-back games after a 14-game drought.
• Simon Holmstrom extended his point streak to three games with five points (3 goals, 2 assists) in that span.
• Adam Boqvist, playing his first game after being claimed off waivers, also scored in the win over Tampa Bay.

However, injuries could be a concern, as Scott Mayfield and Mathew Barzal left Saturday’s game hurt, with no immediate updates from coach Patrick Roy.

Panthers Hitting Their Stride

Florida (33-15-4) dominated Chicago 5-1 on Saturday, securing their third win in four games. The Panthers, despite trailing 1-0 just seven seconds into the game, responded with a dominant effort.

“We were pretty good after that. Strong first period for us. Pretty good start to finish,” coach Paul Maurice said.

Panthers’ Key Performers:

• Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists, reaching the 30-goal mark for the fourth straight season—a first in franchise history.
• Carter Verhaeghe contributed a goal and an assist, while Aleksander Barkov recorded his 200th career multi-point game.
• Sergei Bobrovsky was solid in net, making 24 saves.

Coach Paul Maurice’s Historic Milestone

Maurice secured his 900th career win, joining NHL coaching legends:

• Scotty Bowman (1,244 wins)
• Joel Quenneville (969 wins)
• Barry Trotz (914 wins)

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Previous Meeting: Panthers Won in Comeback Fashion

The last time these teams met on Oct. 26, Florida stormed back from a 3-0 deficit to win 6-3. Matthew Tkachuk scored twice, and Sam Bennett netted the go-ahead goal in the third period.

Game Outlook: Can the Islanders Keep Rolling?

New York is playing with confidence, but facing a rested Panthers team on the second night of a back-to-back could be a challenge.

Will the Islanders extend their streak, or will Florida spoil the party?