Game 5 Notebook: Isles Lose 4-3 in Overtime as Flyers Force Game 6

The New York Islanders pushed the Philadelphia Flyers to the brink of elimination and the Flyers pushed back.

While the Isles mounted a furious third-period comeback to send Game 5 into overtime, Philadelphia lived to see Game 6 as Scott Laughton scored the 4-3 overtime winner at 12:20 of the extra frame.
Brock Nelson and Derick Brassard scored twice in the final 4:14 to force OT, while Mathew Barzal broke the ice 1:20 into the second period on the power play. Claude Giroux, James van Riemsdyk and Matt Niskanen scored for the Flyers, while coaches opted to revert back to their starting goaltenders. Semyon Varlmaov returned in net for the Isles and made 28 saves and Carter Hart received the nod, turning aside 29 saves for the winning side.
"We need a little bit more," Head Coach Barry Trotz said of the outcome. "Our first period, they had a lot more desperation coming out of the gates than we did. I thought we stabilized the game. In the second we were coming pretty good. We got the power-play goal. We made a couple of questionable decisions and they capitalized on their chances. In the third period, I thought we were coming. Obviously, we got it tied up. We had some early chances in overtime, some Grade As that if we score on them we're not having this conversation."

With their season on the line, the Flyers exhibited an effort of desperation and determination as they hoped to extend their stay in the bubble during the first period. Philadelphia wasted no time in sending pucks towards Varlamov and pinning the Isles in their own zone as they outshot the Isles 11-4.
The Isles weren't able to generate much in the first period, despite two brief power plays. In addition to the Flyers 11 shots on goal, the Isles blocked 10 more.
"We didn't come out with a great first," Nelson said. "We started to get it going as the game went on, but after the last game it was] not good enough when you're trying to clinch a series. We have to find a way to be better coming out of the gates. Come out on the attack and try and get a lead."
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The second period embarked with the Isles' on the man advantage, which prompted their first strike. At 1:20 into the period, they converted their second power-play goal in as many games.
Following a clean entry and subsequent look, Tyler Pitlick drove Barzal into the blue paint thus, creating a mound of bodies that displaced Hart from his stance. With the unraveling chaos, Bailey's shot hit Barzal and put the Isles on the board. The play was challenged by Flyers' Head Coach, Alain Vigneault, for goaltender interference but was ruled a good goal.
While the Isles subsequent power play from the failed challenge was unsuccessful, it rejuvenated the Isles offense. The Isles earned more zone time than they'd seen in the first period, but the Flyers wouldn't relent so fast.
The latter half of the period featured some buzz in Philadelphia's play. Their momentum gradually rose before surging into a 2-1 lead. Much of the Flyers' scoring success throughout the series has emerged from shots from distance. Philadelphia's opening goal originated from Philippe Myers' point shot, as Giroux, the Flyers' captain, dexterously redirected the puck out of midair and through Varlamov's pads at 15:45 for his first goal of the postseason.
Radiating from an evened score, the Flyers inflicted their second strike following a misread pinch by Adam Pelech that created a three-on-one rush 2:33 after their first goal. From the slot, a flying Van Riemsdyk buried Laughton's feed to double Philadelphia's lead 2-1.
Prior to the period's expiration, the Isles faced a scare as the officials reviewed whether or not Kevin Hayes' goal-line shot had slipped through Varlamov's pads. Upon review, the play was confirmed as no goal.
Philadelphia continued its theme of dominant starts as they berated the Isles to start the third period. Their ambush broke as they scored their third goal of the game as a byproduct of countering on a failed Isles zone exit. Niskanen blasted a clapper from the top of the right faceoff circle to beat Varlamov at 4:32.

Despite being down two goals, the momentum carefully began to teeter in favor of the Isles. The shift of the pendulum was sparked as Barzal left the game with just over five minutes remaining in regulation after catching Giroux's stick to the face.
The Isles responded.
The Islanders drew back within one with a quick entry into the offensive zone and a slick pass from Bailey to Nelson at 15:46. From the high slot, Nelson sniped a rocket past the glove side of Hart.
Within the span of 1:33, the Islanders evened the score 3-3. An abrasive forecheck by Cal Clutterbuck created a turnover which he cheekily sent towards the netfront after implying a wraparound attempt. Brassard rounded the back post and tapped in the feed to send the game into overtime.

"We started to get chances," Jordan Eberle said. "We got pucks in. We started to play the way we know we can play. We started to get a ton of chances. Bails made a great play that went to Nelly and then, we found one [goal]. We found another one from Brass who's been stepping up lately. That's the character of our team. There's no quit in us."
Overtime saw end-to-end action as both teams feverishly populated promising looks, including several posts. The Isles even killed off a power play just 7:55 into the additional period, but the Flyers sealed the win with a tip from Laughton on Ivan Provorov's point shot 12:20 into overtime.
"We had a couple of chances in overtime and big saves in key moments," Nelson said. "That turns out to be the difference. I'd like to have the breakaway back, Toews thought his squeaked through and [we] had a couple of other looks. That's hockey."

BARZAL LEAVES GAME - DOES NOT RETURN

Barzal left the game late in the third period and did not return for the remainder of regulation or at any point in overtime after taking a stick from Giroux to the face and drawing blood. There was no immediate update on Barzal's status postgame.
"I don't have an update," Trotz said. "We'll see where that is tomorrow."
The dynamic forward logged 19:52 of ice time including 3:12 on the power play, threw one hit, blocked two shots and assisted on Bailey's goal.

COURTIER MISSES THIRD PERIOD - DOES NOT RETURN

Sean Couturier did not return for the third period or at any point in overtime after being on the receiving end of a collision in the second period from Barzal.
Vigneault did not have an immediate update on the severity of Sean Couturier's injury per Sportsnet's Luke Fox.
The Flyers center has two goals in the series against the Isles and would be a huge loss. Prior to his injury, Couturier assisted on Giroux's opening goal, logged 13:40 of ice time including 1:06 on the power play and 2:57 shorthanded, had five hits and two takeaways.

NEXT GAME:

The Isles and Flyers return for Game 6 on Thursday, Sept. 3. The start time scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.