Leddy, Sorokin help Islanders defeat Flyers in OT

PHILADELPHIA -- Nick Leddy scored at 2:23 of overtime to give the New York Islanders a 1-0 win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday.

Leddy tried backhanding a centering pass to Jordan Eberle, but the puck went off the stick of Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim and under goalie Brian Elliott. It was Leddy's second goal of the season and first in 36 games.
"I think it was more of a fortuitous bounce than anything," Leddy said. "I was just trying to get it over to 'Ebs.' I heard him yelling for it and just tried to get it over to him as quick as possible. It ended up a nice lucky bounce through Elliott's legs."
Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves for New York (28-13-4), which had lost two in a row. It was the rookie's third shutout of the season.
"We don't win that hockey game if he doesn't have that first period he did," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "We were slow out of the gates, we weren't sharp, weren't committed to the battle. You need your goaltender to sometimes steal you a game."
Elliott made 27 saves for Philadelphia (20-18-7), which was playing the second of back-to-back games after losing to the Washington Capitals 6-3 on Saturday.
"We did all the right things we talked about in the locker room," Elliott said. "That's what makes a game like this tough, where you do so many things right and you come away with just one point."
New York moved into second place in the eight-team MassMutual East Division, two points behind the Capitals and one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who lost to the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 on Sunday. Philadelphia is in sixth place, nine points behind the fourth-place Boston Bruins. The top four teams will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Sorokin started for the second straight game, something he's done one other time all season. He made 25 saves in a 3-0 loss at Boston on Friday.
"It's all about how you're feeling, if you're in [good] physical condition," Sorokin said. "If you're tired, it's hard [to play] two games in a row, but now I feel good. And I can play more."
Sorokin was at his best in the second period when he made 15 saves, including four on the Flyers' lone power play of the game.
"It's ... how quick he is back there without really putting himself out of position," New York defenseman Ryan Pulock said. "He's moving around quick but he's still calm and he's in the right spots and he gives himself a chance to make those saves. I think you saw that tonight, there were some quick rebounds where he was just making that save every time."
Philadelphia outshot New York 23-13 through the second period.
"The first and second periods we had some great looks," Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said. "Their goaltender made some real big saves at the right time. In my estimation, we had enough looks in those two periods to get a couple. We didn't."
Leddy's goal was the Islanders' first in 159:26, dating to a goal by Travis Zajac at 2:56 of the second period of a 4-1 loss at the Bruins on Thursday.
"I think if you look at the game and the chances we had, we had quite a few 2-on-1's," Leddy said. "We had chances to score, we just weren't fortunate enough to do it. But it goes back to Ilya keeping us in the game all night. He played amazing."

The Flyers celebrated Hockey Fights Cancer night, and during warmups the players wore Oskar Lindblom No. 23 jerseys. Lindblom was diagnosed with a form of bone cancer Dec. 10, 2019, but returned Sept. 3, 2020, against the Islanders in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He also received an ovation from each team during a television timeout.
"I didn't know there was supposed to be anything about me during the game, so it was emotional," Lindblom said. "I was just trying to hold it together and focus on the game, but an amazing moment and I will remember that for the rest of my life."
NOTES:New York has won eight straight games that have gone past regulation. ... Defenseman Braydon Coburn had one shot on goal and two blocked shots in 12:53 in his Islanders debut after being acquired in a trade from the Ottawa Senators on April 11. … Sorokin tied Alex Nedeljkovic of the Carolina Hurricanes for the most shutouts by a rookie this season. … The Islanders won the season series 5-1-2 (Flyers were 3-1-4). … Teams have played six regular-season overtime games against each other in a season one other time, the Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets in 1988-89.