Postgame 5: Islanders Nip Flyers, 3-2

The Philadelphia Flyers (10-8-1) suffered a 3-2 loss to the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont on Wednesday evening. Philadelphia's five-game winning streak came to an end. Philadelphia remains winless (0-7-1) in games where they yield the first goal.

Brock Nelson scored twice for the Islanders after Anders Lee notched the game's first goal. Cam York and Joel Farabee tallied for Philadelphia.

New York took a 1-0 lead the first intermission. The teams traded off one goal apiece in both the second and third periods. Philly made a late push for an equalizer but fell short.

At 1:49 of the first period, Islanders captain Lee stepped out from behind the net and jammed home the puck (3rd goal of the season) inside the near side post. The lone assist went to Oliver Holmström.

New York took a 2-0 lead at 13:10, as they took advantage of catching the Flyers on a long shift in the defensive zone. Nelson (9th goal of the season) severely changed the trajectory of the puck on a deflection from the left slot and beat goalie Carter Hart. Adam Pelech and Pierre Engvall received the assists.

Persistence paid off for Flyers; defenseman York (3rd of the season, goals in back-to-back games) as Philadelphia cut the gap to 2-1 at 14:18. Strong work by several preceded it, ending with York following up his own scoring chance with backhander that found the net. Owen Tippett and Ryan Poehling received the assists.

A clean entry by the Islanders led to a backdoor goal for Nelson (second of the game, 10th of the season) at 2:31 of the third period. Pierre Engvall earned the primary assist for the feed across the ice to a wide-open Nelson. The secondary helper went to Adam Pelech.

A huge hit deep in New York territory by Garnet Hathaway on Noah Dobson started a possession sequence that resulted in Bobby Brink making a gorgeous feed to an open Farabee (8th) for a goal at the doorstep that cut the gap to 3-2 at the 15:56 mark.

Hart played well but not quite well enough in stopping 23 of 26 shots. The Lee goal was not defended well by Egor Zamula, and Hart failed to seal off the near-side post. The other goals were nearly unstoppable

Ilya Sorokin earned the win in goal for the Islanders with an outstanding effort. He finished with 34 saves on 36 shots.

The Flyers went 0-for-1 on the power play. The Islanders were 0-for-2.

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

71 Tyson Foerster - 14 Sean Couturier - 11 Travis Konecny
74 Owen Tippett - 21 Scott Laughton - 89 Cam Atkinson
86 Joel Farabee - 25 Ryan Poehling - 10 Bobby Brink
44 Nic Deslauriers - 27 Noah Cates - 19 Garnet Hathaway

8 Cam York - 6 Travis Sanheim
24 Nick Seeler - 26 Sean Walker
18 Marc Staal - 5 Egor Zamula

79 Carter Hart
[33 Samuel Ersson]

TURNING POINT

Given the Flyers' respective records when scoring the game's first goal (10-1-0) versus trailing first (0-8-1), the Lee goal was a major moment in Tuesday's game. Ultimately, though, it came down to Nelson's deflection and back-door goals that gave the Islanders just enough insurance to win the game.

POSTGAME 5

1) On the game's opening shift, Cal Clutterbuck rolled a puck softly on net. Hart covered in, and Cluterbuck took a chop at the goalie. Pushing and shoving ensued but nothing escalated. On the second shift, Nick Seeler blocked a Bo Horvat shot attempt.

The Islanders had each of the game's first four shots on goal, including Lee's tally at 1:49. It marked the first time since the game in San Jose -- six games ago -- the Flyers trailed first.  On the next shift, Konecny found room over the middle and was stopped one-on-one by Sorokin on a five-hole attempt. A few shifts later, Brink had an opportunity down low.

At 7:27, defenseman Alexander Romanov had a look from the right slot after pinching in from the point. Hart read the play, challenged the angle and made the save. A couple shifts later, Deslauriers landed a solid hit on Casey Cizikas behind the Flyers' net. 

Foerster was called for a questionable icing at 8:52. The officials conferred and the ruling was changed. After a television timeout, the faceoff was moved to center ice. 

After play resumed, Konecny knocked down Barzal but could not connect with a pass intended for Tippett. As the period passed the halfway mark, Tippett had a couple looks but missed the net on one and a pass attempt intended for Atkinson on the other.

The Islanders got the game's first power play at 11:16 of the first period. In an after-the-whistle scrum after being taken down seconds earlier, Farabee took a pop at Lee. It happened right in front of the officials. The Flyers killed off the penalty.

With 2:59 left in the first period, the Flyers worked a set play off a faceoff. Couturier ended up with a chance at the doorstep. Shots were 8-6 Islanders. A little over a minute later, Atkinson fired a slap shot on net from the right circle.

2) First period shots on goal were 9-8 Islanders. Shot attempts were 21-11 Flyers. Scoring chances were 10-5 Flyers.  High danger chances were 6-5 New York. Faceoffs were 9-8 Flyers (led by Laughton going 3-for-4). The Flyers' lone blocked shot was registered by Seeler. New York blocked eight Flyers' attempts.

3) The Flyers had a quick start to the second period, generating forechecking pressure in the Isles' end on the first two shifts. Subsequently, a miscue up high in the attack zone led to a 2-on-1 rush for the Islanders. Staal broke it up.

At 2:52, the Flyers went to their first power play as Wahlstrom was called for roughing after he knocked off Tippett's helmet. During the ensuing two minutes, Pageau had a look from the mid slot, but Hart knocked the shot aside. With the second unit on the ice, Walker activated in the offensive zone, but Philly was unable to convert after creating a scramble.

With play back at 5-on-5, Hart had to make a pair of stops including a tricky deflection by Lee.  Shots on goal were 5-4 Flyers through 6:12. Two shifts later, Poehling was unable to finish off a wraparound attempt as Pulock got his stick on the puck.

At the 7:54 mark, Hart made at outstanding save on Pageau at the doorstep. Wahlstrom had a look moments later. Hart kept the deficit to one goal.

Behind the play at 9:32, commotion broke loose before a whistle. Deslauriers was called for a retaliatory jab (called a roughing minor) as he responded to his helmet being knocked off by Scott Mayfield. There were also coincidental minors called on Hathaway and Barzal. 

The Islanders went on a 5-on-4 power play. On the ensuing penalty kill, Walker came within a whisker of his third shorthanded goal of the season but hit the far-side post off a feed from Laughton. Philly killed off the rest in good shape. 

However, New York surged and registered each of the next seven on net, including the Nelson goal. Philly answered with seven shots and several scoring chances including the York tally. Also of note: the Flyers juggled their offensive lines, with Tippett and Atkinson playing with Poehling.

In the final minute of the second period, Dobson had a look in close. Cates (skating on a wing with Couturier and Konecny), was in the middle of the final chance of the period.

4) Second period shots on goal were 14-12 Flyers (22-21 Flyers overall). Shot attempts were 26-23 Flyers (48-34 Flyers overall). Scoring chances were 10-8 Flyers (21-15 Flyers overall) but with a 5-3 high-danger edge to the Islanders (11-8 Isles overall). Second period faceoffs were 12-5 Islanders (21-15 New York overall, led by Cizikas going 5-for-6 and Nelson going 4-for-5).

5)  To start the third period, the Flyers lines had Poehling centering Tippett and Atkinson. Foerster was back with Couturier and Konecny. Cates centered Farabee and Brink. Laughton centered the fourth line (which was on the ice for the third Isles' goal).

The were back on their heels early in the third period and New York capitalized to extend the lead to 3-1 on Nelson's second goal of the game. At 6:30, Sorokin made an outstanding rebound save on Atkinson off a Farabee rebound.

With 11:22 left in the third period, Pageau received a long pass in the Philly zone. Walker harassed him enough to force a hurried shot that went well over the net.

As time ticked down near seven minutes remaining, Hart turned the puck over behind the net. A moment later, York saved a sure goal by blocking a shot in front. At the other end, Tippett set up a good chance for Atkinson

The Farabee goal off the gorgeous feed from Brink gave the Flyers life late in the game. Hart came off for an extra attacker with 2:01 left on the clock. Hart briefly returned with 1:04 left as there was a center ice faceoff. 

Clutterbuck missed the empty net. With 24.8 seconds remaining, the Flyers were guilty of a hand pass. A final shot attempt by Konecny fell short.

Third period shots on goal were 14-4 Flyers (36-26 Flyers overall). Shot attempts in the final stanza were a whopping 32-15 Flyers, as they threw pucks at the net constantly from every angle (81-51 Flyers overall). Scoring chances were 17-8 Flyers (40-26 Flyers overall), with a high-danger edge to Philly of 8-2 (16-14 Flyers for the game). Third period faceoffs were 12-11 Islanders (33-26 Islanders overall, led by Nelson going 6-for-8. For the Flyers, Couturier went 10-for-20). 

The Flyers missed the net on 17 shot attempts (TIppett attempted seven shots, missing the net on six) and got blocked on 26 other shot attempts. Amid all around strong night, Poehling blocked four New York shot attempts. Overall, the Flyers had 14 blocks.