Bailey back, but Beau’ scratched

SUNRISE, Fla. — Josh Bailey was back in the Islanders’ lineup a day after being benched against the Lightning, but coach Lane Lambert continued to shuffle things around Sunday against the Panthers.

ISLES NOTES

This time, it was Anthony Beauvillier — who had been in the top six for every game this season — who was a surprise scratch for the first time since last December, spending the 3-2 loss in the press box. Lambert started Bailey on the second line with Mathew Barzal and Zach Parise, moved Kyle Palmieri to the third line to the right of J-G Pageau, and put Oliver Wahlstrom on the top line to the right of Brock Nelson. That configuration, though, was juggled as the game went along.

Lambert said afterwards that it was a coach’s decision to scratch Beauvillier, with Bailey indicating he wanted to put Saturday’s scratch behind him

“I think we’re close [to finding the right combinations],” Lambert said, when asked about the lineup, to which he’s made frequent changes this season. “But at the same time, we’ve gotta lock it down here soon.”

Lambert also took out Nikita Soshnikov, who made an error on Nick Paul’s goal at the end of the second period on Saturday, inserting Ross Johnston into the top nine for his season debut. The move was presumably intended to get more physicality into the lineup a day after Lambert focused on getting more speed in with Soshnikov. Johnston rarely plays above the fourth line, as his physical style of hockey is more suited to the bottom trio, but skated 10:31 mostly with the third line.

“Physical game, physical player,” Lambert said, when asked to explain the move, adding that Kieffer Bellows — who has not played since opening night — has not done anything wrong to prevent him from making the lineup.

➤ The Islanders set a franchise record with 22 consecutive penalties killed to begin the year, beating marks from the 1981-82 and 1987-88 seasons.

“I think it comes with a lot of the same faces,” Casey Cizikas said before the game. “Guys know what to do out there. Guys have been in these situations before.”

➤ Semyon Varlamov stopped 29 of 32 shots in nets for the Isles.