12:03 pm: Poulin in net, but Travis Hamonic is now day-to-day and Carkner will fill his spot tonight. The same forwards will play tonight as on Sunday. Tim Thomas will be in net for the Panthers.
Nabokov took a skate this morning in an empty building and it is rumored that Visnovsky skated yesterday for the first time on Long Island yesterday. I don't believe it. But that's just me.
7 am: The Isles haven’t put a winning streak like this together in years and tonight they have a chance to make it eight road games and five wins in a row in Florida. The Panthers, filled with ex-NY Islanders, is looking to snap their streak and send them packing empty handed. John Tavares (the NHL's first star of the week), and company have to make sure that doesn’t happen.
The Panthers record is very much the same as the Isles right now. ISLANDERS (18-22-7) and PANTHERS (17-21-7). The Panthers had their own road trip where they went 1-1-1. They’re hungry to win in front of their home crowd. And Sean Bergenheim will be on fire.
With his yo-yo history with the Islanders, look for him to be playing the role of pinball tonight, looking to cause havoc and finding the back of the net. And he will. Just because. But the Isles work ethic have to carry them over the Panthers. It would be wonderful to see more highlight reel worthy footage of Calvin deHaan and Brock Nelson out of tonight's game. You know, the type of moves that make you stand up from the couch and scream "Did you see that?"
Certainly going into Sunrise Florida is like old home week with Brad Boyes, Mike Mottau (who has played all of seven games for the Cats), and Bergie who has played 30 games so far this season.
Now, according to Jeff Capellini’s tweet from last night:
Jeff Capellini @GreenLanternJet 8h
If the #Isles can ever get Bailey going it'll change the entire dynamic of their offense. Because he has all the skills to be top line guy
Jeff Capellini @GreenLanternJet 8h
Bailey's struggles have been one of the most perplexing things I've seen in years because you can't say skill-wise he has holes. #Isles
He does. There are those Isles fans who give other fans, especially female fans, a very hard time about Josh Bailey. But the truth is, he does have the ability to be a productive player for this team. Capuano has just not figured out how to suck consistency out of him and by his own admission to me, sometimes confidence is his problem.
We will have to wait for Newsday’s Art Staple to let us know if Travis Hamonic is well enough to play tonight and whether it will be Nilsson who will get his turn in net. With the streak on the line, Jack will probably go with Poulin as Nabokov works towards getting back in the line-up.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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