It’s been a long time since the Flyers and Islanders have faced off in a playoff series.
The second round began on Saturday night, but we still have some more time before the Flyers kick off their series. They will begin on Monday night as the home team against the New York Islanders.
It’s been quite a while since these two teams faced off. Their last game was on February 11th. It was a 5-3 win for New York en route to a series sweep of Philadelphia. The two teams had another game on tap that was wiped out by the cancellation of the last few weeks of the regular season.
It’s been even longer since these two teams faced off in the playoffs. We’re talking decades, not years, since the Flyers and Islanders met. The last playoff series between these two teams was back in 1987.
They met for in the then Patrick Division Finals. That game featured goals by Brian Propp, Ilkka Sinisalo, and Brad Marsh for Philadelphia. Denis Potvin had the Islanders goal. Ron Hextall was the Flyers goaltender at the time. The Islanders had Kelly Hrudey in net.
A lot has changed since then. Though it’s been 33 years so of course a lot would be different now. The Flyers have won three out of four playoff matchups against the Islanders. They’ve won the last two series. Their first series ended up leading the Flyers to their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
The 1980 series was the only one that the Islanders came away as the victories. It was part of their four consecutive Stanley Cups.
It was the last Philadelphia has tasted victory in the Finals. And for the first time since 2012, the Flyers are getting a chance in the second round. They haven’t made it to the finals since 2010.
For the Islanders, they have made it to the final round since 1984. That was after those four consecutive Stanley Cup victories. They also haven’t made it past the second round since 1993. While it’s been longer for the Islanders, both team are looking to end some lengthy droughts.
The Flyers will have a much tougher test ahead of them. The 1987 series went all seven games and there’s a chance we could see the same this year. That is if Philadelphia can find a way to beat New York, something they were unable to do in the regular season.
Things have been different in the post season. The Islanders, trending downward at the conclusion of the regular season, have been hot and almost swept the Capitals. The Flyers have also been one of the best teams since entering the bubble.
For two teams that haven’t faced each other in the postseason for quite some time, it should be a matchup to watch.