Postgame RAV4: Flyers Conquer Islanders

The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the New York Islanders, 4-1, in a must-win game at UBS Arena in Elmont on Friday. A three-point game (one goal, two assists) from Matvei Michkov led the way offensively.

The Flyers finished their season series against the Islanders with a 3-1-0 record.

The Flyers dominated the first period. Owen Tippett (28th of the season) and Alex Bump (4th) scored closely spaced goals in the middle of the period. Philly took the two-goal lead to the dressing room.

As expected after getting thoroughly outplayed in the opening 20 minutes, the Islanders played with more energy and purpose in the middle frame. Although New York had the better puck possession and scoring chances in the second period, Philly exited the frame with a two-goal lead intact.

Early in the second period, Matvei Michkov (17th) extended the Philadelphia lead to 3-0 on a bank shot goal. In the final five minutes, Jean-Gabriel Pageau  (16th) narrowed the Flyers' lead back to two goals. It was Pageau's third goal in the last two meetings with Philadelphia.

New York tried to strike quickly in the third. The Flyer withstood the push and then got some offense of their own. Travis Sanheim (10th) made it 4-1.

Dan Vladar stopped 20 of 21 shots to earn the win. The team also played well in front of him. Ilya Sorokin made 17 saves on 21 shots.

Factoring their tiebreaker disadvantages relative to all other teams in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference wildcard playoff race, the Flyers (88 points, 24 regulation wins) are two points behind the Islanders (89 points, 28 RW), and one point from overtaking the Columbus Blue Jackets (88 points but 27 RW) for third in the Metro.

If Philly cannot move up into third in the Metro, they trail the Ottawa Senators (88 points, 33 RW) , Detroit Red Wings (88 points, 29 RW) and Columbus via tiebreakers in the wildcard race.

FIRST PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Trevor Zegras created a scoring chance for Travis Konecny. The pass did not quite connect. Through six minutes, shots on goal were 2-0 Flyers. 

Zegras sprang Foerster behind the defense. Adam Pelech had to take a hooking penalty at 7:43 to slow him down. Philadelphia went to the game's first power play.

Christian Dvorak was denied on a backdoor attempt. Foerster put the followup through the crease. With the second unit out, Noah Cates turned the puck over on an entry attempt. After re-entry, Jamie Drysdale hit the post off a Matvei Michkov pass. The penalty expired. Shots were 6-0 Flyers.

Tippett tied his single season career high in goals. Travis Sanheim made a move and slipped the puck to Tippett. Out-waiting Sorokin, Tippett slid the puck home at 13:54. Sanheim got the lone assist.

On the first shift after the Tippett goal, Rasmus Ristolainen delivered a huge check. 

One shift later, at 15:01. Bump beat Sorokin to the short side for a 2-0 lead.  The goal was unassisted. The assists went to Matvei Michkov and Noah Cates. The Islanders called timeout.

Couturier took  a high stick from Marc Gatcomb at 15:09. The Flyers' captain was left bleeding but only a two-minute minor was called. 

On the penalty, a Foerster backcheck broke up a J.G. Pageau scoring chance. Zegras was shaken up on a Pelech hit as play continued and had to go to the locker room. Ryan Pulock blocked a Tippett shot attempt. The Flyers failed to score. With play back at 5-on-4, Martone made a nice pass to Michkov at the blueline. The penalty expired.

The Islanders struggled all period to navigate the neutral zone and get entries. They had a near-miss near the buzzer, however.

Shots: Flyers 12- Islanders 2
Faceoffs: Flyers  5 - Islanders 6

SECOND PERIOD SYNOPSIS

Zegras returned for the start of the second period. However, as the period progressed, he only skated a few shifts.

Anders Lee forced Vladar to make a good kick save for his first stop of the period. The Islanders had a possession advantage on each of the next two shifts as well. New York had the period's first two shots.

On a bouncing puck behind the net, Michkov one-handed a puck to bank off Sorokin into the net for a 3-0 lead at 2:52. The goal was unassisted.

Luke Glendening took a hooking minor against Matthew Schaefer at 3:54. New York went to their first power play. The Flyers killed off the penalty in good shape.

Vladar had to make several saves, including a great stop on Ryan Pulock, in a multi shot barrage from the Islanders. Through 10:35, shots for the period were 7-5 Islanders.

Tippett came close to another goal with a rising shot from near the dot. Sorokin fought it off.

Konecny took a tripping penalty against Ondrej Palat at 12:50. Two shots -- Brayden Schenn and Mathew Barzal -- narrowly missed the net. Emil Heineman also missed. Vladar gloved a shot for a stoppage with 17 seconds left on the penalty kill. Konecny returned with no damage done.

However, shortly after 5-on-5 play resumed, Pageau joined the play as a trailer. Taking a centering pass from Barzal (50th assist of the season), Pageau beat Vladar  high to the blocker side at 15:37. Simon Holmstrom earned the second assist.

Vladar stopped Anders Lee in close on a chance set up by Schaefer. The defense cleared the rebound out of danger.

New York continued to push. Foerster intercepted a late breakout pass attempt, which helped time to expire.

Shots: Flyers 6 (18 overall) - Islanders 12 (14 overall)
Faceoffs: Flyers 9 (14 overall) - Islanders 14 (20 overall)

THIRD PERIOD SYNOPSIS

The Islanders came right out attacking again. Tippett broke up a back door play. A shot deflected off Lee and severely changed direction. Vladar made the save.

Michkov took a needless interference penalty at the 2:00 mark. New York went to its third power play. Vladar gloved down a Schaefer shot from the middle. Horvat made a save with Heineman lurking at the doorstep.

At this point, the Flyers had 15 blocked shots for the game to five for New York.

Through 5:50, shots were 4-0 Flyers. On the next shift, Couturier had a turn-back-the-clock moment, powering the luck himself past Schaefer and to the net. Sorokin made his first save of the period. Over the next two shifts, shot attempts from Michkov and Ristolainen followed.

Zegras won an offensive zone faceoff. The Flyers were unable to generate a shot but spent some time in the attack zone. Zegras was not out for the line's next shift.

The Flyers forged a 4-1 lead at 9:16. Bump took the puck from the defensive zone and carried it up ice. Michkov made a nice setup pass to the far side. Sanheim finished it off the short side to hit double-digit goals on the season. Michkov and Bump earned the assists.

Holmstrom hit the post from the left dot to Vladar's blocker side. The Flyers iced the puck.

With eight minutes left in regulation, Roy pulled Sorokin for an extra attacker. Ristolainen blocked a shot and attempted a shot toward the empty net. Tippett beat out the icing but Schaefer blocked the subsequent shot attempt.

Martone avoided taking an icing, skating an extra stride to get the puck in deep without icing it. However, with 5:33 remaining, Glendening iced the puck.

Vladar fought off traffic for a save. Seconds later, Michkov attempted a long-distance empty netter. He missed and took an icing with 5:02 left. New York won the ensuing draw. Vladar gloved a Heineman shot for a stoppage with 4:44 on the clock. After a TV timeout, the Islanders continued to skate 6-on-5.

Schaefer thwarted another empty net bid. Konecny hit the post. Schaefer blocked yet another shot. Tippett took an icing. Eighty seconds remained.

New York iced the puck Sorokin had to temporarily go back into the net with 23 seconds left. No further events ensued.

Shots: Flyers 3 (21 overall) - Islanders 7 (21 overall)
Faceoffs: Flyers 9 (23 overall) - Islanders 15 (35 overall)

FLYERS STARTING LINEUP

Tyson Foerster – Trevor Zegras – Owen Tippett
Travis Konecny – Christian Dvorak – Porter Martone
Alex Bump– Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov
Sean Couturier – Luke Glendening – Garnet Hathaway

Travis Sanheim – Rasmus Ristolainen
Cam York – Jamie Drysdale
Nick Seeler – Noah Juulsen

Dan Vladar
[Samuel Ersson]

Postgame RAV4 (RAV4 Things Revisited)

1. Hit the net

The Flyers did just that in the first period in particular. They set a positive tone to build a two-goal lead by intermission. At the other end of the ice, Philly blocked 24 shots over the course of the game and New York missed the net or hit the post on 16 others.

2. Pucks in dangerous areas

The  Flyers did a dramatically better job on Friday at managing the puck in the high-risk areas of the ice. That was a big part of Philly's undoing in an otherwise well-played game on Thursday. In Elmont, the Flyers made sure to bear down on the details, and it paid off.

3. Between the pipes

Dan Vladar struggled in two of his three previous games. He was only severely tested a few times in this game but he made important saves -- usually with no rebounds -- on this night. Vladar clearly outplayed Sorokin, who normally gives the Flyers fits.

4. Special teams

The Flyers broke even. They went 0-for-2 on the power play but 3-for-3 on the PK.