SUNRISE, Fla. — The gamble paid off.
Islanders coach Jack Capuano split up his top line, inserting rookie Alan Quine in place of Frans Nielsen, and the 23-year-old came through with one of the team’s biggest goals in decades.
Quine, who was at AHL Bridgeport a few weeks ago and has played in just two career regular-season games, scored his first playoff goal in double overtime to give the Islanders a 2-1 win in Game 5 Friday night at BB&T Center.
“It’s hard to sum it all up,” Quine said. “It’s all happened pretty fast. I haven’t had time to process it. I’m just trying to enjoy everything and be ready every day.”
Though Quine primarily plays center, Capuano felt comfortable moving the rookie to the wing based on what he had seen in the previous four games.
“You see the speed and the tenacity that he brings,” Capuano said. “I like the fact that he’s a reserved guy. He’s a confident guy. He’s not nervous at all, and he’s playing like he should be here. He’s not playing safe.”
Rookie defenseman Ryan Pulock didn’t travel with the team for Friday’s game and is expected to miss the remainder of the series after being removed with an upper-body injury in the third period of Game 4. Capuano said the 21-year-old is expected to miss one to two weeks.
Pulock had one goal and two assists in his first four playoff games. Defenseman Marek Zidlicky, 39, made his first appearance of the series, earning an assist on the game-winning goal. Veteran winger Steve Bernier also made his first appearance of the series, replacing Ryan Strome.
The Islanders’ oft-acclaimed fourth line — Casey Cizikas, Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck — was held without a point for the fifth straight game. The trio has a combined minus-7 rating in the playoffs.
“I just think for whatever reason even before the playoffs started that Casey’s line was a little bit out of sync, but [they’re] not three guys I worry about,” Capuano said before the game. “I think that they’ve always responded in the right way.”
Clutterbuck went to the locker room with 33.7 seconds left in the second after receiving a blindside hit from Jaromir Jagr but returned in the third period.
The Panthers’ third-leading goal-scorer, Vincent Trocheck, made a surprise return in Game 5, having been out since March 29 with an ankle injury. The 22-year-old center had 53 points this season (25 goals, 28 assists) but was held without a point on one shot. … Jagr has gone 36 straight playoff games without a goal.