GAME NOTES
QUICK STATS
Regular Season Series: 0-2-1Playoff Series: 4 Series (3 wins, 1 loss)Playoff Games: 25gp (14-11)Playoff Leading Scorer:PHI - 8pts: Jakub Voracek (4g-4a)NYI - 10pts: Josh Bailey (2g-8a)
1. THE FLYERS SO FAR...
The Flyers advance to the Second Round for the first time since 2012, dropping only two games since entering the bubble and going 7-2 in the playoffs... They are a perfect 7-0-0 when scoring the first goal AND perfect 7-0-0 when leading after the second period... The Flyers had the least amount of giveaways (46) than any other team in the First Round, and ranked third for the most blocked shots (106)... The Flyers also drew the most penalties of any team in the 1st Round (32)... Carter Hart started all six games of the First Round and is 6-2 in the playoffs - he leads the playoffs in save percentage (.943) and is 3rd in goals-against average (1.71) of goalies who have played three or more games.
2. THE ISLES SO FAR...
The Isles have gone through two rounds already with a 3-1 series win in the Qualifying Round against the Florida Panthers and 4-1 series win in the First Round over the Washington Capitals... This comes after finishing their regular season in March on a seven-game winless skid and dropping nine of their last 11 games... In the playoffs thus far, the Isles rank 4th among all playoff teams in goals scored per-game (3.33)... They also rank 3rd among all NHL teams in blocked shots (169)... Semyon Varlamov has started each playoff game, going 7-2 and is one of two goaltenders with seven playoff wins after the First Round... He currently ranks second among all goaltenders with a 1.67 GAA.
3. THE MATCHUP
The Islanders took the regular season series vs. Flyers, winning all three games, which all were high-scoring - they combined for 22 goals (PHI: 9 | NYI: 13)... In the playoffs, the Isles lead all teams in fewest goals-allowed per-game (1.67) while the Flyers rank 2nd (1.78)... The Islanders are 3rd in the playoffs for the most goals scored in the 3rd period (11), while the Flyers are T-4th for the fewest amount of goals-allowed in the third (4)... Mathew Barzal had five points (2g-3a) in the season series and has the second-most points (17) and points per-game (1.55) against the Flyers than any team in his career... Claude Giroux has 56 points (18g-38a) in 52 games against the Islanders - it's the most points against any other team in his career.
4. GOING OLD SCHOOL
This is the first meeting in the playoffs between these two teams in 33 years - since the 1987 Patrick Division Finals in which the Flyers won in seven games... In total, this is the fifth all-time meeting with the Islanders with the Flyers winning three of the previous four - dropping their lone series in the 1980 Stanley Cup Final... Of the four previous series, three have gone at least six games with two series going seven games.
5. PLAYERS TO WATCH
FLYERS (RW: #93 - Jakub Voracek)
Enters tonight's game as the Flyers leading scorer in the playoffs with eight points (4g-4a) and is riding a four-game point streak, posting six points (3g-3a) in this stretch... His four goals lead the team and is a new playoff career high and his three power-play goals are T-2nd among all players in the playoffs.
ISLANDERS (LW: #18 - Anthony Beauvillier)
Beauvillier began the postseason with points in six straight games... He leads the team and is T-1st in the NHL with six goals in nine games, which includes three game-winning goals and two series-clinching goals... Against the Flyers, he had two goals in three games this year and has posted seven points (4g-3a) in his last 10 meetings.
