1/1/09 Florida Panthers-New York Islanders game story for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Panthers drop 4th in a row

Goalie pulled during Panthers' 4th loss in row

By Denis Gorman

Special Correspondent

January 1, 2009

UNIONDALE, N.Y.

The Panthers played well early and late Wednesday afternoon, but couldn't match the Islanders in a game-changing second period.

"They came out and ramped their game up a notch," Panthers coach Pete DeBoer said after his team lost its fourth in a row, 4-2 to New York. "You knew they were going to start to play better and they did in the second, and we didn't answer the bell."

After an impressive first period, which included Brett McLean's goal at 18:24, the Panthers were nonexistent in the second. They allowed the league's worst team to score three goals in a span of 12 minutes.

Mike Comrie crashed the net and redirected a Kyle Okposo pass at 7:50 to tie the game. The goal energized the Islanders, who began to pressure the deflated Panthers. Nearly eight minutes after tying the game, Comrie scored on a power play to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead.

Sean Bergenheim completed the Islanders' second-period barrage by racing down the right wing and beating Vokoun glove side with 24 seconds left.

DeBoer lifted Vokoun for Craig Anderson to start the third period. Vokoun allowed three goals on 22 shots, but as DeBoer noted, it probably should have been four goals, if not for a phantom goaltender interference penalty on Jon Sim in the first.

"It was four goals on 20 shots," DeBoer said. "Even the first one that didn't count looked like it went in to me. That was reason enough."

DeBoer said Anderson would start Saturday in Pittsburgh.

Mark Streit added to the Islanders' lead with a power-play goal with 6:26 remaining.

Streit ripped a slap shot from above the left faceoff circle that Anderson did not see.

Nathan Horton's eighth of the season at 19:32 closed the scoring.

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