Flyers could not find scoring in loss to Islanders in East Second Round

The Philadelphia Flyers were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the New York Islanders, losing 4-0 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Second Round on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the Eastern hub city.

The Flyers were the No. 1 seed after going 3-0-0 in the round-robin portion of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers and then defeating the Montreal Canadiens in six games in the first round.
Here is a look at what happened during the 2020 postseason for the Flyers and why things could be even better next season:

The Skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents: Nate Thompson, F; Tyler Pitlick, F; Derek Grant, F; Chris Stewart, F; Justin Braun, D; Brian Elliott, G
Potential restricted free agents: Nicolas Aube-Kubel, F;
Nolan Patrick
, F; Robert Hagg, D; Philippe Myers, D
Potential 2020 NHL Draft picks: 7

What went wrong

Disappearing power play: The Flyers were 4-for-52 (7.7 percent) on the power play in their 16 playoff games, but three of those goals came against the Canadiens in Game 5 of the first round. Against the Islanders they were 0-for-13, including 0-for-2 in Game 7.
Top players couldn't deliver: The Flyers had five players finish the regular season with at least 19 goals -- forwards Travis Konecny (24), Kevin Hayes (23), Sean Couturier (22), Claude Giroux (21) and James van Riemsdyk (19). Those players combined to score eight goals against the Islanders. Konecny had seven points, all assists, in 16 playoff games. Voracek had one assist in the second round. Van Riemsdyk scored his only two goals of the playoffs in Games 5 and 6 against the Islanders and was scratched four times. Giroux scored one goal in 16 games.
Poor puck management: The Flyers were credited with 104 giveaways against the Islanders, an average of 14.8 per game that nearly was double their regular-season average (9.1 per game). An inability to pass the puck, especially under a heavy Islanders forecheck, was a big reason Philadelphia scored 16 goals in seven games.

Reasons for optimism

Carter Hart: The Flyers appear to have found their franchise goalie. Among goalies to play at least seven playoff games, Hart is fourth in the NHL with a .926 save percentage and seventh with a 2.23 goals-against average. He had back-to-back shutouts in Games 3 and 4 against the Canadiens and made 49 saves in the 5-4 double-overtime win against the Islanders in Game 6. Hart turned 22 during his first Stanley Cup Playoffs, and teammates and coaches continued to marvel at his combination of poise, technical skill and athleticism.
Young defensemen stepping up: Ivan Provorov, 23, scored eight points (three goals, five assists), was plus-2 and averaged 26:04 of ice time in 16 games. He assisted on the overtime goal in Game 5 against the Islanders and scored in double-overtime in Game 6, when he played 38:15. Philippe Myers, 23, scored three goals, including in overtime in Game 2 against the Islanders, and was plus-2 in 20:06 of ice time in 16 games. Travis Sanheim, 24, scored seven points (one goal, six assists), averaging 22:35 in 16 games.
Oskar Lindblom's return: The biggest win of the playoffs came when Lindblom took his first shift in Game 6 against the Islanders, eight months after being diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. When the forward left the lineup Dec. 7, he was tied with Konecny for the Philadelphia lead with 11 goals. Now he's focused on trying to return to that level. "Just want to get back on track and start a new season," Lindblom said after Game 7.