"Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon wanted to send a strong message to his players that getting shut out in back-to-back games by conference opponents wasn't acceptable.

Tallon grimly drove his point home just before the opening faceoff of Saturday's game against the Islanders, trading longtime Panthers left wing David Booth to the Vancouver Canucks for a couple of NHL warhorses in Marco Sturm and Mikael Samuelsson.

The message was received loud and clear as the Panthers dominated nearly every statistical category in smothering the Islanders 4-2 at BankAtlantic Center to snap a two-game losing streak as they embark on their first Canadian trip of the season.

And it could be without starting goaltender Jose Theodore, who was replaced by rookie Jacob Markstrom at the start of the third period of a 2-2 game because of what was termed a "core" injury.

"They played a heck of a lot harder than they have in the last two games,'' said coach Kevin Dineen, who pulled Theodore for precautionary reasons. "That was a heck of a third period by Jacob.""