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Luongo bounces back, Panthers top Isles 3-1 to even series

Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, right, makes a save as New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) attempts to score during the second period of Game 2 in a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Friday, April 15, 2016, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, right, makes a save as New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) attempts to score during the second period of Game 2 in a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, Friday, April 15, 2016, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

By Associated Press April 15, 2016 1 min read

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) – Roberto Luongo made 41 saves for his first playoff win in five years, and the Florida Panthers evened their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series by beating the New York Islanders 3-1 on Friday night.

Reilly Smith and Nick Bjugstad each had a goal and an assist for Florida, which salvaged a split in the series-opening back-to-back. Dmitry Kulikov added an empty-netter with 9.3 seconds left to clinch the win.

John Tavares scored with 3:33 left for New York, and Thomas Greiss stopped 28 shots for the Islanders.

It was Luongo’s first playoff win since Game 5 of the 2011 Stanley Cup finals, snapping a streak of seven consecutive lost postseason starts. And he was victimized by Florida defensive breakdowns in Game 1 on Thursday, a big part of why he yielded five goals on 26 New York shots.

Game 3 is in Brooklyn on Sunday.