MIAMI — Florida Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg found an open shooting lane when he got a feed in the left faceoff circle from Colin White and fired a one-timer toward the net.
The slap shot made its way past New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov, giving Lomberg his first goal of the season and ultimately the game winner in the Panthers’ 3-2 win over the Islanders on Sunday to cap a three-game homestand at FLA Live Arena.
“The boys did a great job being where they had to be,” Lomberg said. “The puck just bounced to me and I put it away.”
The Panthers are 4-1-1 to start the season and went 2-0-1 overall on their first homestand of the season, also winning 4-3 against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday and picking up a point in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.
On Sunday, the Panthers used an aggressive forecheck to pave the way for their goal scoring.
Florida quickly went up 2-0 on first-period goals from Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen.
Lundell scored his first goal of the season 39 seconds into regulation after stealing the puck behind the net and sending a tough-angled snap shot from the right side of the net that just squeaked past Varlamov.
Luostarinen doubled Florida’s lead about eight-and-a-half minutes later when he corralled a rebound on a high shot and sent his second effort into the back of the net.
And then Lomberg iced it with his third-period one-timer that came after White scooped up the puck on the boards and sent a drop pass to Lomberg in the circle.
Panthers goaltender Spencer Knight stopped 23 of 25 shots that came his way. The only goals he allowed were by Anders Lee on the power play — first a deflection in front of the net on in the second period and then off a rebound while the Islanders had a five-on-three advantage midway through the third period.
Of the Islanders’ 25 shots on goal, just 12 came when both teams were at full strength, with half of those shot attempts coming in the first period.
Tkachuk point streak snapped
All-Star winger Matthew Tkachuk did not record a point for the first time this season, ending his franchise-record point streak to open a season at five points.
The Panthers’ previous record point streak to start a season was four games, done 10 previous times by nine players — most recently by Carter Verhaeghe (at the start of both the 2021 season and the 2021-22 season).
Tkachuk is also just the third player in franchise history to start his tenure with the club (which includes players acquired midseason) with a point streak of at least five points, joining Ray Whitney (seven games in the 1997-98 season) and Pavel Bure (six games in 1998-99 season).
Power play woes
The Panthers went 0 for 4 on the power play Sunday and are now just 2 for 27 on the season when playing with a man advantage. Both of their power-play goals so far this season came in the second period of their 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 15.
Eric Staal ‘not far off’ from joining lineup
Eric Staal, who formally signed a one-year deal with the Panthers on Friday, did not play against the Islanders, but coach Paul Maurice said pregame that the 37-year-old forward is “not far off” from being ready to draw into the lineup.
Staal spent training camp with the Panthers on a professional tryout and then remained with the team as a non-roster player once the season started. However, he wasn’t allowed to travel with the team on its season-opening road trip and Florida has only had one full practice on this homestand.
“We want to make sure when he comes in,” Maurice said, “he’s right and ready.”
Up next
The Panthers play six of their next seven games on the road.
It starts with two road games against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. and the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday at 7 p.m. before hosting the Ottawa Senators on Saturday at 4 p.m.
After that, it’s four games on the West Coast: Facing the Arizona Coyotes on Nov. 1, San Jose Sharks on Nov. 3, Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 5 and Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 6.
