Islanders 3, Flyers 1: Three in a row

1 week ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey

Celebrations all around. | Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images


The Islanders begin rehabilitating their pivotal homestand. The New York Islanders won three games in a row for just the second time this season, but also the second time this month, as they began to rehabilitate a seven-game homestand that started off with two losses.
This time they stuck it to the Flyers, one of the teams that got this homestand off on the wrong foot, with a somewhat stress-free 3-1 win on Long Island.
It was their first game without Noah Dobson, whose absence it must be said was not strongly felt, and they somehow managed to succeed without new WTF signing Tony DeAngelo, who must clear waivers before adding his special chemistry to this team.
Bo Horvat, Anthony Duclair (long overdue) and Brock Nelson (heating back up) had the goals while Ilya Sorokin stopped 29 shots, 16 of them in the third.
[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]
The first period was a sloggy, strategic affair, with only three shots combined through the first 13 minutes. But here was a Pierre Engvall Uses His Speed sighting, as he rushed down the left wing on a transition, slammed on the brakes and fed the point for a decent scoring chance.
The Flyers once again objected to a strong check from an Islanders Russian against a Flyer who wasn’t particularly paying attention to surroundings. This time there was no major, nor any video review to overthrow a penalty (but...we technically have to wait till tomorrow to learn if the league decides everyone was wrong after all!), and in another contrast with last time, Travis Konecny was penalized for retaliatory roughing on Alex Romanov, who had delivered the textbook and this time perfectly clean check on Cam York.
To no one’s surprise, the Islanders did nothing on that power play, which was at 6:30. Fourteen minutes in, the first real mistake was made as Ryan Pulock pinched and missed, creating a 2-on-1 for the Flyers. Tyson Foerster hung on to the puck and beat Ilya Sorokin short side to make it 1-0.
Three minutes later, the Islanders struck back with a great counterattack. Kyle Palmieri lofted a backhand diagonally across the neutral zone that caught the Flyers changing, and which Brock Nelson caught and dropped to his stick as he gained the zone. Nelson quickly backhanded to Anthony Duclair, whose shot caught a piece of Ivan Fedotov as it went in far side.


Brock Nelson with the catch-and-feed to Anthony Duclair pic.twitter.com/jXpUjAPmx3— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 25, 2025




That tied it at 1-1, and a minute later the Islanders were leading 2-1. Mat Barzal took a pass in stride on the right wing and entered the zone with Bo Horvat sprinting to make it a 2-on-1. Barzal’s fake and pass was perfect past Travis Sanheim, and Horvat received and shot in one motion to put it past Fedotov’s desperate stretch.


Barzal to Horvat. On fire! pic.twitter.com/bitN1mnaBX— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) January 25, 2025




It was a pretty slogging start to the second period, too, and again it looked like an Islanders mistake, or call it an accident, might break the ice. It was mostly a broken stick at the blueline that allowed the dangerous and very slash-happy Matvei Michkov a breakaway that Sorokin stopped, aided by some backside pressure from Isaiah George.
The Flyers got their first power play of the game on a Nelson slash, but the Isles PK was refreshingly good.
Even better, the Islanders got the next goal after a nice reverse behind their own net and a long bank stretch pass off the boards to Nelson, who sniped it inside the near post to make it 3-1 at 13:56.


Brock Nelson is starting to get hot. #Isles pic.twitter.com/Qqey0X5j2v— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) January 25, 2025




With 3:29 left in the period, the Islanders got their second power play of the game. It was at least a halfway decent power play, I’ll say that. They moved it and put some shots at net.
Of course, after the penalty expired, Sean Couturier touched the puck before he completely came out of the box, Barzal Rookie Year-style, but the refs missed this infraction and the Flyers very nearly scored on the following sequence. Sorokin saved the day with a long leg stretch, thankfully, saving the refs some deserved grief in the process.
The third period was scoreless, partly due to Sorokin and partly due to a third Islanders power play breaking up the flow. The Flyers pulled for a sixth attacker with three minutes left, but to no avail, and of course no empty netter for the Isles. That would be too much to ask.
Quote of the Night
“All on the outside, Brendan. Nothing penetrating at all. ... I’m not sure what that power play’s all about. Pretty easy kill for the Flyers.”
>>Butch Goring during a third-period “power” play. The kind of stuff that would get you ejected from the booth during the Snow era.
Up Next
It’s back to back and the Islanders host the Hurricanes Saturday night. They’ve just added some firepower....

Read Full Article.