Postgame 5: Flyers Rally Late, Lose 4-3 in OT to Isles

The Philadelphia Flyers rescued one point late in regulation before falling in overtime to the New York Islanders, 4-3, at Wells Fargo Center on Monday evening. 

The Flyers played a decent overall first period although they didn't generate many scoring chances. Two Islanders goals spaced just 18 seconds apart overshadowed the rest of the frame.

Noah Cates (4th) goal of the season gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead at  4:57 of the first period. Gaining the offensive zone, Cates fired a rising 35-foot shot into the net. The goal was unassisted.

New York struck for goals at 12:03 and 12:21 of the first period to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead. The first, scored by Matt Martin (4th), was a 36-foot shot from the right side that double deflected off Nicolas Deslauriers and Egor Zamula. The assists went to Kyle MacLean and Mike Reilly. On the latter, scored by Bo Horvat (30th) to the short-side, the Flyers scrambled to get coverage, and Horvat scored from the slot. The assists were credited to Mathew Barzal and Casey Cizikas. Sean Couturier was injured in the corner on the sequence and left the game.

Samuel Ersson played the game's first 20 minutes in goal, allowing two goals on seven shots. Making his NHL debut, Ivan Fedotov entered the game at the start of the second frame.

Forty-three seconds into the second period,  Travis Sanheim (10th of the season) knotted the score at 2-2. Sanheim carried the mail into the attack zone and beat Varlamov with a rising 45-foot wrist shot.

Fedotov made 15 saves in the second period, as the Flyers were heavily outshot and out-chanced. Philly did not generate a single even-strength shot on net after the Sanheim goal. The Islanders had their way and Fedotov single-handedly kept Philadelphia in the game.  

Fedotov could not prevent a nearly unstoppable Anders Lee deflection goal (19th) from the slot at 17:54. The lone assist went to Alexander Romanov.

The Islanders took a one-goal lead into the third period. In the final 20 minutes, the Flyers started to find their game but were unable to generate a tying goal. Finally, with Fedotov pulled for a 6-on-5, the Flyers found an equalizer just in the nick of time. 

A Jamie Drysdale point shot created a rebound near the doorstep, and Morgan Frost (13th goal of the season) tied the game at 19:50. The assists went to Drysdale and Travis Konecny.

Unfortunately, in sudden death overtime, Frost turned the puck over to Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson (30th goal of the season) won the game at 1:24. 

In a losing cause, Fedotov stopped 19 of 21 shots. Semyon Varlamov earned the win with 29 saves on 32 shots.

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

Drysdale returned to the lineup after missing the last 16 games due to injury. Cat Atkinson and Nicolas Deslauriers dressed for this game, replacing Bobby Brink and Olle Lycksell in the lineup. Adam Ginning was a healthy scratch with Drysdale coming back.

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

71 Tyson Foerster - 14 Sean Couturier - 11 Travis Konecny

74 Owen Tippett - 48 Morgan Frost - 89 Cam Atkinson

27 Noah Cates - 25 Ryan Poehling - 19 Garnet Hathaway
44 Nicolas Deslauriers- 21 Scott Laughton - 86 Joel Farabee 

8 Cam York - 6 Travis Sanheim
24 Nick Seeler - 9 Jamie Drysdale 
5 Egor Zamula - 77 Erik Johnson

33 Samuel Ersson
[82 Ivan Fedotov]

TURNING POINT

When all hope seemed to be lost, Frost forced overtime with just under 10 seconds left in the third period. In overtime, the Flyers started with Laughton, Foerster and Sanheim. At 1:24, after a Frost turnover to Palmieieri, Nelson ended the game.

POSTGAME 5

1) The Couturier line skated the game's first shift for the Flyers. York hustled to block a JG Pageau shot after a turnover by Sanheim. Cates picked an opportune time for his fourth goal of the season, giving the Flyers a 1-0 lead at 4:57.

Through 7:34, shots on goal were 4-2 Flyers. Zamula returned to the ice after going off for repairs a few minutes earlier in taking an errant puck to the face. 

New York struck for quick goals at 12:03 and 12:21 to take a 2-1 lead. Couturier, who went down awkwardly in the corner on the second goal sequence, immediately went up the tunnel. Shots on goal were 6-5 Flyers.

The Islanders went to the game's first power play at 14:35 as Zamula put the puck over the glass from the defensive zone and was called for delay of game. The Flyers killed off the first half emphatically, including a shorthanded foray for Laughton. The back half of the kill was also solid.

The Flyers put together back-to-back strong shifts with time ticking down to the final two minutes of the first period. Konecny had a one-on-once chance against Varlamov after a New York turnover. 

2) First period shots on goal were 11-6 Flyers. Shot attempts were 19-18 Flyers. Scoring chances were 8-4 Islanders (per Natural Stat Trick). High-danger scoring chances were 1-0 Islanders. Faceoffs were tied at 8-8.

3) Fedotov entered the game at the start of the second period. With Couturier out of the game, Cates moved to center.

York fired a sharp angle shot on net at the 10-second mark. Sanheim tied the score at 43 seconds.

At 4:55, Fedotov denied Barzal on a breakaway with a glove save. Fedotov later stopped MacLean at 6:25 from 33 feet.

Fedotov stopped a give-and-go chance for Nelson, as a delayed penalty was called on York. The whistle blew on a hooking penalty at 8:03. On this kill, the Flyers' goalie was the team's best penalty killer with two saves and a puck clear down the ice. Hathaway also contributed a blocked shot.

Fedotov stopped Nelson one-on-one at 12:07. The Flyers went on their first power play at 13:28 as Anders Lee was penalized for high-sticking. Philly generated decent puck movement but could not score.

Barzal fired off a shot near the right dot at 17:28. Fedotov made the save. At 17:54, Lee restored a 3-2 lead for the Islanders. 

4) Second period shots on goal were 16-3 Islanders (22-14 Islanders overall). Shot attempts were 31-12 Islanders (49-31 New York overall). Scoring chances were 15-5 Islanders (23-9 Islanders overall). High-danger scoring chances were 4-0 Islanders (5-0 New York overall according to Natural Stat Trick). Faceoffs were 11-6 New York (19-14 Islanders overall).

5)  The Flyers went back to the power play 32 seconds into the third period as Nelson was called for tripping Laughton in the neutral zone .Frost won two faceoffs and Philly got shots on net from Frost and Drysdale. The rest of the power play went downhill.

Through 5:26, shots on goal were 3-1 Flyers. Seated on the bench for the first seven-plus minutes of the third period, Konecny returned to the shift rotation.

Seeler had a chance from the slot at 10:10. Tippett fired a left circle wrister on net at 12:42. Shots were 10-3 Flyers.

Farabee was denied from the left slot at 13:30. Through 16 minutes, shots were 13-3 Flyers. 

The Flyers pulled Fedotov at 16:25. The Flyers got a generous icing call at 17:37. Philly called a timeout. Varlamov gloved a Konecny point shot at 18:50.  The Islanders iced the puck at 19:01. Frost tied the game at 19:50.

Third period shots on goal were 18-3 Flyers (32-26 Flyers overall). Shot attempts were 44-9 Flyers (74-61 Flyers overall). Scoring chances were 18- 4 Flyers 28-27 Islanders overall). High-danger scoring chances were 6-2 Flyers (8-7 Islanders overall). Faceoffs were 11-8 Flyers (27-25 New York overall).