Flyers to take on newly-improved New York Islanders

Another crucial two points are on the line for the Philadelphia Flyers as they travel to the Nassau Coliseum to take on the New York Islanders. The two teams met less than a week ago. It was a game in which the Flyers had to recover from a 2-0 deficit heading into the final period.

Claude Giroux put the team on his back, scoring two goals in about four minutes. The team was unable to complete the comeback, falling to the Islanders in the shootout. Philadelphia has been able to handle the Isles much better this season than last year. They are 3-1-2 against New York this season.

Four of the six games have needed at least overtime to determine a winner. Philadelphia won the first three matchups before dropping the last three.

Philadelphia Flyers
Record: 18-15-5 (41 points)

While the Flyers played a strong second period against Boston in their last game, they couldn’t use that momentum to grab two more important points. That makes the game against the Islanders that much more important. The Bruins will be traveling to Washington as they sit five points ahead of Philadelphia for fourth place in the East.

The Flyers recently got Carter Hart back after his reset. He has looked much more confident in his two games, despite both being losses. They’ll need him to continue to show his much-improved play if they want to make a late-season run. With just 18 games remaining and three before the trade deadline, time is of the essence.

The next game or two will almost certainly determine how the team approaches the trade deadline. In fact, Fletcher said this week of games would be crucial to their plans moving forward. A victory against the Islanders coupled with a Boston loss to the Capitals would set up quite the matchup on Saturday.

The Flyers cannot jump the Bruins after losing on Tuesday night, but it would pull them within a single point of fourth place. Things could get interesting really quickly.

One would assume the lines will revert back to what they were at the start of the last game. Carsen Twarynski was called up to the taxi squad recently so he could enter the lineup. Tanner Laczynski could also come back as well.

van Riemsdyk- Couturier – Farabee

Laughton – Hayes – Patrick

Voracek – Giroux – Konecny

Lindblom – Raffl – Aube-Kubel

Provorov – Braun

Sanheim – Myers

Morin – Gostisbehere

Hart

Elliott

New York Islanders
Record: 25-10-4 (54 points)

It won’t be an easy task as the Islanders are a different team from the last time the Flyers faced them. We had our first big trade as the deadline looms. The Isles made a splash on Wednesday night, acquiring Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from the New Jersey Devils. In return, they gave up A.J. Greer, Mason Jobst, a 2021 first-round pick, and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2022. The Devils will also be retaining 50% of both Palmieri and Zajac’s contracts.

The two players are not required to undergo any quarantine period and were available for the team’s morning skate. They are both expected to be in the lineup against the Flyers.

A season after acquiring Jean-Gabriel Pageau ahead of the deadline, it’s clear the Islanders are looking to make another run at the Stanley Cup. Right now, the Isles are looking to record their fourth win in a row after defeating the Capitals on Tuesday night. That win tied them with Washington for the top spot in the division.

There hasn’t been an indication on what the Islanders lineup will look like tonight. Our counterparts at Eyes on Isles gave a crack at what the team may throw out there tonight.

Palmieri-Barzal-Eberle

Beauvillier-Nelson-Bailey

Zajac-Pageau-Wahlstrom

Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck

Pelech-Pulock

Leddy-Mayfield

Greene-Dobson

Sorokin

Varlamov

When, Where and How To Watch

Time: 7 PM EST

Location: Nassau Coliseum

TV Broadcast: NBC Sports Philadelphia, MSG+

Radio Broadcast: 97.5 The Fanatic

Live Stream: Fubo TV

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