As I continue to preview the New York Islanders’ series against the Florida Panthers, I’ll be looking at which players have performed better or worse than average when they play their qualifying round opponent. This will look at which players on the Islanders have played better than average against the Panthers throughout their career.
There aren’t quite as many names on the overperformers list today as there were on the underperformers list yesterday, but again, these are just numbers and may not make any sort of an impact in the series. If you haven't read the list of underperformers, you can do so here:
Otherwise, here are the players who have overperformed against the Panthers throughout their career:
THOMAS GREISS
Who knows if Greiss will even get into the series but at least we know that if he does, he has a strong track record against Florida throughout his career. Greiss has gone 5-2-1 in eight games against the Panthers, posting a .930 save percentage and 2.10 goals against average in the process. In his two games against Florida this season, Greiss went 2-0, stopping 69 of 71 shots.
TOM KUHNHACKL
Kuhnhackl probably isn't the only skater you want on this list but it is what it is. Like Greiss, Kuhnhackl probably isn’t even very likely to play in the series, especially considering the Islanders will have a healthy lineup, now that they’ve had a break to recover. That said, he’s been productive against the Panthers, scoring 5 points in 10 career games against Florida.
SEMYON VARLAMOV
This is by far the most important overperformer of the group. Varlamov will be facing a strong Panthers’ offense and if Sergei Bobrovksy is actually able to find his game, Varlamov will need to be sharp for New York. In 12 career games against Florida, Varlamov has managed an 8-3-1 record and a .922 save percentage. In his only game against the Panthers this season, Varlamov allowed just two goals on 37 shots, on route to an Islanders victory.
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Here’s today’s poll question (Results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
What do you think the Islanders' goaltending situation will be in the series?
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