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Islanders in playoff position, Panthers have work to do as teams meet

NHL: Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple LeafsJan 6, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice watches the play against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers do not have to be reminded that five of the eight teams currently occupying a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference did not make the postseason last year.

And the Panthers will get another glimpse at a team attempting to take their spot in the tournament Sunday night, when Florida opens a four-game road trip by visiting the surging New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y.

The Panthers are coming off a 3-2 loss to the visiting Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. The Islanders are completing a back-to-back set after overcoming a two-goal deficit Saturday night and edging the host Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-3, in overtime.

The loss Friday was the sixth in eight games for the Panthers (2-6-0), who are eight points behind the Boston Bruins in the race for the second wild-card spot with 23 games to play.

The Bruins, Detroit Red Wings and Sabres — the latter of whom are in second place in the Atlantic Division — all missed the playoffs last year.

A reigning Stanley Cup champion hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2015, when the Los Angeles Kings came up two points shy of a tournament berth.

A spate of injuries has endangered the Panthers’ pursuit of the NHL’s first three-peat since the Islanders won the Stanley Cup four consecutive times from 1980-83. Captain Aleksander Barkov has yet to play due to a right knee injury suffered in training camp while Matthew Tkachuk has played just 12 games following offseason surgery for a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle. Tkachuk and Barkov were Florida’s second- and third-leading scorers last season, respectively.

The Panthers’ fortunes haven’t improved since returning from the Olympic break. Right winger Cole Schwindt will be out indefinitely with a lower body injury suffered in Thursday’s 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs while Uvis Balinskis was slated to be evaluated Saturday after exiting Friday’s game due to injury.

“Not cheating on effort,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. “We’re doing the best we can.”

Simon Holmstrom’s goal 1:47 into overtime Saturday continued a pair of trends for the Islanders, whose effort to return to the playoffs after a one-year absence has featured plenty of comeback wins and extra session dramatics.

New York is tied for second place in the Metropolitan Division with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have two games in hand. The Penguins also missed the playoffs last season.

The win Saturday was the fourth straight for the Islanders, who have trailed in three of those victories — including Thursday night’s 4-3 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens in which New York also came back from a 2-0 second-period deficit.

Holmstrom’s goal improved the Islanders to 8-0 in games decided in overtime. New York trailed in regulation in all eight overtime wins.

The only team in NHL history to record more overtime wins without a loss in a single season are the 2021 Vegas Golden Knights, who went 9-0 in overtime during the pandemic-shortened 56-game campaign.

“At the end of the day … I feel like we’re calm and we just focus on what needs to be done,” Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. “It doesn’t matter if we’re behind. We find ways to get back into the game.”

–Field Level Media

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Warriors star Steph Curry out at least 5 more games with knee injury

NBA: Denver Nuggets at Golden State WarriorsFeb 22, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) cheers from the bench during a game against the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The Golden State Warriors on Sunday said Stephen Curry will miss the next five games before his right knee injury is re-evaluated.

Curry, who hasn’t played since Jan. 30, is officially out for Monday’s home game against the Los Angeles Clippers with “right patellofemoral pain syndrome,” also called “runner’s knee.” It’s an overuse condition that is marked by pain around the kneecap.

In addition to the Clippers game, Curry will miss the Warriors’ three-game road trip to Houston, Oklahoma City and Utah and a home game against Chicago on March 10. The soonest he could be back is March 13 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Warriors have said Curry is making progress but is not doing work on the court yet.

Golden State (31-29) is in eighth place in the Western Conference and just 4-6 in the games Curry has missed before and after the All-Star break. The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Warriors 129-101 on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

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Anders Lee's game-winner downs Panthers, caps another Islanders comeback

NHL: Florida Panthers at New York IslandersMar 1, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27) controls the puck against the Florida Panthers during the first period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Anders Lee scored the game-winning goal with 30.9 seconds left Sunday night for the surging New York Islanders, who overcame another two-goal deficit to beat the Florida Panthers, 5-4, in Elmont. N.Y.

Lee got a step on Aaron Ekblad, extended his stick to draw out goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and buried a forehand into the wide open left corner of the net.

Rookie Mathew Schafer scored twice while Carson Soucy and Bo Horvat also scored for the Islanders, who have won five straight games. New York has trailed 2-0 in each of its last three victories.

Goalie David Rittich made 29 saves.

Sam Bennett scored twice while Sandis Vilmanis and Sam Reinhart scored one apiece for the Panthers, who have lost seven of nine (2-7-0). Bobrovsky recorded 21 saves.

Vilmanis opened the scoring 3:44 after the opening faceoff, when he gloved a pass from A.J. Greer and backhanded a shot that trickled under Rittich’s legs.

Bennett doubled the lead by scoring six seconds into a power play with 5:06 left, when his shot from the left faceoff circle sailed past Rittich’s glove.

The Islanders began their latest comeback in unusual fashion with 1:59 remaining, when Schaefer’s shot from the right faceoff circle bounced before the crease, caromed over Bobrovsky’s head and glanced off the top post before bouncing off his back and into the net.

Soucy tied the score with a 4-on-4 goal 7:28 into the second. The defenseman took a drop pass from Simon Holmstrom, who was draped by the Panthers’ Gustav Forsling, and sent a shot under Bobrovsky’s glove.

Bennett gave the Panthers the lead again with 7:56 remaining, when his backhander from the middle of the right faceoff circle went under Rittich’s stick arm.

Horvat tied the score with 2:46 left with an angled shot from near the goal line that landed beneath Bobrovsky’s stick.

Schaefer gave the Islanders their first lead by scoring from the slot with 9:31 left in the third. This gave Schaefer 20 on the year at just 18 years old, making him the youngest defenseman to ever record 20 goals in a season and the youngest since Dion Phaneuf (20 years old) did it for the Calgary Flames in 2005-06.

With Bobrovsky pulled for an extra attacker, Reinhart tied it back up with 1:58 remaining.

–Field Level Media

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Lionel Messi, Miami score four in second half to upend Orlando

MLS: Inter Miami CF at Orlando CityMar 1, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) controls the ball from Orlando City SC defender Tahir Reid-Brown (29) in the first half at Inter&Co Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Lionel Messi recorded a brace, Telasco Sevogia scored the tiebreaking goal in the 85th minute and assisted on two others and Inter Miami dominated the second half to record a 4-2 comeback victory over host Orlando City on Sunday night.

Mateo Silvetti added a goal and an assist in Inter Miami’s four-goal second half that erased a 2-0 deficit. The Herons (1-1-0, 3 points) bounced back from a 3-0 season-opening loss to Los Angeles FC.

Messi, who scored in the 57th and 90th minutes, has eight goals in five meetings against the Lions across all competitions.

Marco Pasalic and Martin Ojeda scored goals for Orlando City (0-2-0, 0 points).

Orlando was unable to clear the ball out of its zone on the tiebreaking sequence.

Miami’s German Berterame came up with the ball to begin the sequence. Sevogia eventually received it and booted a right-footed shot into the net.

Three minutes later, Orlando City’s Colin Guske pulled Messi down and was given his second yellow card. The automatic upgrade to red led to Guske’s ejection, leaving the Lions with just 10 men for the rest of the match that included 10 minutes of stoppage time.

Messi then took a free kick from close range in the 90th minute and sent a left-footed shot past the wall and inside the left post to give the Herons a two-goal lead.

Dayne St. Clair made three saves for Miami, which outshot Orlando City 16-12 and placed eight shots on target to the Lions’ five.

Maxime Crepeau had four stops for Orlando City.

Orlando City won both regular-season meetings last season, prevailing by scores of 4-0 and 3-1.

Miami woke up fast after the halftime break.

Silvetti was beyond the box when he ripped a right-footed shot into the left corner of the net in the 49th minute.

Messi scored the equalizer eight minutes later by lining a left-footed shot inside the right post.

Ojeda had a big opportunity to put Orlando City back ahead in the 70th minute but St. Clair made a leg save on Ojeda’s close-ranged left-footed shot.

Orlando struck in the 18th minute when Ivan Angulo fed Pasalic, who sent a left-footed grounder that caromed off the arms of St. Clair and into the net.

Six minutes later, the Lions made it 2-0 when Ojeda performed a give-and-go with Griffin Dorsey. Upon receiving the ball back, Ojeda sent a right-footed shot into the right corner.

Crepeau made three first-half saves, including one of Messi in the 28th minute. Messi also sent a free kick wide left of the net late in the half.

–Field Level Media

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