Alan Quine was barely bigger than a hockey puck when the New York Islanders last won a playoff series (1993 for all you tearful fans) and, after the 23-year-old spent most of this season in the minors, the team adding him to the roster as an emergency call-up two weeks ago.
And are they happy they did.
Quine put the Islanders in position to end that 23-year drought between playoff series wins. His slap shot at 16 minutes of the second overtime — after 96 minutes of play — narrowly beat Florida goalie Roberto Luongo, and New York topped the Panthers 2-1 in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
The game started Friday and ended Saturday at 12:16 a.m.. Now the Islanders — up 3-2 in the series — will try for the clincher in Brooklyn on Sunday.
"Right in my wheelhouse," Quine said of the power-play winner, "and I just ripped it."
Isles' goalie, Thomas Greiss, continued his spectacular series stopping 47 shots for the Islanders. He's saved 92 of the last 95 shots he's faced.
