Brock Nelson
In Saturday’s game, it took just over six minutes for the Flyers to allow a goal. After another 10 minutes, the Islanders had four on the board and the game was as good as over. Two more third-period turnovers padded the score further, resulting in a 6-1 defeat for the Flyers. There’s an awful lot to unpack in another result like that.
The Flyers did get the outcome they needed in the last game, as a late goal propelled them to victory. That was a step in the right direction, but it has to continue. They will face the Islanders again on Saturday night, closing out a four-game road trip.
The Flyers face a must-win situation, as their season just gets uglier by the game. Their challenge on Thursday, one night after being handed their worst road loss in franchise history, is another game on the road against the New York Islanders, a team tied at the top of the division.
The Tampa Bay Lightning reached the Stanley Cup Final with a Game 6 overtime win, a look at the Cup Final schedule and news of an interesting trade from this week in our look around the NHL.
The Dallas Stars clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Final on Monday and could be joined by one of the two teams left in the East on Tuesday. Also a look at a new coaching hire in the Metropolitan Division as a familiar face goes to Washington.
The Flyers never had the answers. They could never counter the Islanders desire to finish this series. So it goes in the playoffs sometimes. Make no mistake, it’s disappointing, and this loss stings knowing the season is over, but there is a lot to take from this season. For now, let’s take a closer look at the game that did the Flyers in.
The Islanders struck for two goals in the first period and never looked back, holding the Flyers at bay all game and finishing off the series, as the Flyers season came to an end with a 4-0 loss to the Islanders in Game 7 on Saturday night.
It all comes down to this. Game 7 to decide who goes to the Eastern Conference Final and who goes home. If it’s anything like the other games in this series, you can expect a close, hard-fought battle to the finish where only one thing is certain: this game will end with handshakes at center ice.
The Flyers have a chance to force this series to the brink with a win in Game 6, and it could require them to do so without one of their top players in the process.
Just like in Game 2, when the Flyers let another 3-1 lead in the third period get away, they had the answer in overtime. It took over 12 minutes, but the Flyers remain alive in the series with a deflection goal by Scott Laughton. 5 takeaways from Game 5.
