Flyers Fall to Islanders in OT
You probably wouldn't have to even see the score of the Flyers Islanders game to guess that it required extra time for the game to be decided. 6 out of the 8 games in the season series between the two teams have gone to either OT or a shootout, and this game was no different. This time, the Flyers lost 1-0 in OT after a deflection off a Flyers skate went past Brian Elliott to end the game in OT. Another unlucky ending for a Flyers team that has had their fair share of unlucky endings this season.
The game was pretty boring, to say the least. It was everything you could have expected from a game that ended 0-0 in regulation, not a lot of great chances for either club. Both goalies played well, Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin saved all 30 of the shots he faced, which Flyers goalie Elliott saved 27 of the 28 shots he faced in the contest. The Flyers actually outshot the Islanders, which is usually a rare sight for the Flyers to outshoot a team, but had nothing to show for it. After Boston winning at the Capitals on Sunday, the Flyers are now 9 points behind Boston in the East playoff race.
The Flyers applied more of the pressure and had the better chances in the first two periods of the game, but Sorokin was up for the task and stopped everything. The Islanders picked up their pressure and had better chances during the third period and into overtime, and Elliott stopped everything that came his way until a fluke goal went past him. Both teams had some decent chances in OT, Sorokin robbed Provorov early in the extra Fram with his pad and Elliott saved a good backhand opportunity from Brock Nelson later on in the period. The deflection goal for the Islanders was given credit to Nick Leddy 2:23 into the overtime period and finally broke the deadlock.
The best moment of the game was easily when the Flyers honored forward Oskar Lindblom with a solo lap before the game and gave him a standing ovation in the first period. Lindblom was diagnosed with cancer back in December 2019, and fought his way back and beat it, now the Flyers have an annual hockey fights cancer game in his honor. Lindblom fought back tears during the standing ovation from the crowd, showing how much the moment meant to him. The Flyers players also all wore Lindblom jerseys during warmups as a tribute to the cancer survivor, showing the unity this team has.
The Flyers enter their last 12 games of the season now with not a whole lot to play for except pride. They would have to win all 12 games and get some major help from other teams to make the playoffs. The Flyers head to a back-to-back with the Rangers on Thursday and Friday night next. After gaining the one point for getting to OT, the Flyers sit on 47 points, firmly in 6th place in the tough East division, likely to stay in that position for the remainder of the season. The Flyers are 5 points behind the 5th place Rangers, who are making a run at the playoffs, and 9 points behind the Bruins, who currently hold the last playoff spot in the East and have 2 games in hand.