Matt Niskanen
It played out so much like the other games in the series. The Flyers had their moments. The Islanders had more of those moments. They used turnovers and transition plays to their advantage again. And while the Flyers had more shot volume and traffic to the net than in previous games, the goalie who kept them in Game 2 made sure they were in Game 4 and got the result needed.
The Islanders scored twice in the third period, helping to put away the Flyers in the game and take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series with a 3-2 win on Sunday night.
The Flyers need more from these players, especially if they are to see this playoff run go any further. They need their top scorers. They need their best performers. They need the guys who get the most ice time to really earn it. They need their leadership group to step up on the ice. 5 takeaways from Flyers-Islanders Game 3.
The Islanders showed they are a team that has a lot – the talent behind the bench, the depth up front, the defensive structure and the goaltender to get the job done. The Flyers did not show what they wanted to show. They did not show they have another level. They showed their flaws. 5 takeaways from Game 1.
Even-keeled Flyers goalie Carter Hart downplayed the comparisons and significance of facing his boyhood idol in his first playoff series. But even he couldn’t hide the significance of meeting at center ice to shake hands with Canadiens’ veteran Carey Price after winning the series.
The long drought is over. The Flyers went back to the style of play that helped them secure the first three wins and it earned them the all-important fourth one to move on. Here are 5 takeaways from Game 6 of Flyers-Canadiens.
Both the Flyers and Canadiens will be without key players in Friday’s Game 6, and it should be an energetic affair that fits the mold of playoff hockey at its finest. Game 6 is set for 7 p.m.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi took a major boarding penalty. Matt Niskanen has been suspended for Game 6 for a cross-check to the head of Brendan Gallagher. Nick Suzuki fueled the fire by patting Carter Hart on the head after a goal. A collision between Sean Couturier and Artturi Lehkonen started an end-of-game scrum. The bad blood in this series went from 0 to 60 in Game 5.
The Flyers had to overcome a lot of obstacles to eventually tie the game in the third, but gave the lead back 22 seconds later, as the Canadiens carried the lead the rest of the way for the 5-3 win in Game 5 to force Game 6 on Friday.
The Flyers were 6-0 in games following a loss in the second half of the regular season. They can add a playoff win to that total with a greasy, bounce-back effort led by their goaltender. Here are 5 takeaways from the Flyers 1-0 win over the Canadiens in Game 3.
