SUNRISE, Fla. — The news was not that the Islanders — with three defensemen and a top forward hurt and a goalie making his NHL debut — had their season-high seven-game winning streak snapped. Rather, it was that they were tenacious enough to have hopes of extending it.

The reality of their situation hit a whole lot harder after the Islanders’ 6-3 defeat to the Panthers on Sunday in which they nearly rallied to yet another absurd victory before finally

SUNRISE, Fla. – The Florida Panthers will close the book on another back-to-back when they host the New York Islanders for a battle at Amerant Bank Arena on Sunday. Winning each of the first two games on their three-game homestand, the Panthers enter tonight’s matchup sitting first in the Atlantic Division with a record of 31-19-3.