On Tuesday night, the Flyers squandered a pair of one-goal leads but still managed to earn a point, which could prove important for their playoff aspirations.
However, the Islanders faced a much harsher reality in their latest defeat, leaving them with little comfort in the face of their challenges.
Upcoming Clash for Playoff Position
As two teams in pursuit of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference prepare to clash, the Flyers and Islanders will meet Thursday night in Elmont, New York.
Both clubs took the day off on Wednesday following their losses on Tuesday. The Flyers experienced a 3-2 shootout defeat against the Columbus Blue Jackets, while the Islanders kicked off a seven-game homestand with a disappointing 2-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators.
Owen Tippett put the Flyers ahead 2-1 with a goal at 8:13 of the third period, but the lead was short-lived as Zach Werenski equalized just over seven minutes later.
Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko then secured the victory for the Blue Jackets in the shootout, denying Philadelphia a crucial opportunity to close the gap in the playoff race.
With this win, the Blue Jackets (48 points) solidified their hold on the second wild card. Meanwhile, the Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, and Pittsburgh Penguins remain stuck at 44 points, trailing the Senators (47 points) and the Montreal Canadiens (46 points).
The Flyers’ loss brought an end to their two-game winning streak, as they had hoped to achieve a back-to-back sweep after overcoming a two-goal deficit in a 4-3 win against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Monday.
This season, the Flyers have had two streaks of three consecutive wins, their longest of the year. “We put a lot of gas in our game [Monday] night,” Flyers coach John Tortorella remarked after the Tuesday loss. “Frustrating for me because we had a chance to win this one. We gave it away a little bit at the end, but we’ll just take the point and go.”
Islanders Struggling to Find Offense
The Islanders’ frustration deepened following their defeat, which ended a season-high three-game winning streak and left them seven points behind the Blue Jackets and six points behind the Senators.
Currently, New York sits at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and 15th in the Eastern Conference, above only the Buffalo Sabres. With a shot count of 27-24 against them on Tuesday, the Islanders continued to struggle offensively.
They failed to score during their only power-play opportunity, extending their streak without a power-play goal to 14 games—the longest such drought in franchise history.
During this span, the team has gone 0-for-25 with the man advantage. The Islanders had previously enjoyed a winning streak on the road, which included victories against the Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights, and Utah Hockey Club, but they scored one goal or fewer for the 14th time this season.
“We have to respond to this — I mean, the position we were in, winning three in a row, and having a chance to go for four in a row, I think we should have been more hungry,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy commented. “We should have had more urgency than what we did. Sometimes, you have to dig for those wins, and for some reason, we did not.”
