Flyers look for revenge against Islanders and to snap eight-game losing streak

The Flyers once again will take on the Islanders 24 hours after their last puck drop in Belmont, New York. The game started really slowly yesterday as Philadelphia  blew 2 early chances on the powerplay. The game picked up in the second period but Sorokin kept shutting the door on the Flyers, allowing the Islanders to find their game and eventually net the first goal.

The Flyers had some really great quality chances but had no finish nor an answer to solving Sorokin. The only goal they got was a double doinked puck that was meant to be a pass by Konecny that ended up in the back of the net for his 100th goal.

While Jones kept this hockey team in the game as long as he could, they just could not find the back of the net. The longer you let this Barry Trotz Islanders team stick around, the more likely it is for them to wear you down and find ways to burn you. The Flyers need to get going early and they need to score quickly if they have any chance of winning against a team that has had their number for the last couple of years.

This game, 100% sure this time, is on ESPN+ tonight.

Philadelphia Flyers

Record: 13-18-7 (33 Points, 7th in the Metro)

Well, with the loss last night, the Flyers find themselves in seventh place. This team has been nothing short of three things this season. A disappointment, injury-ridden and a team lacking of identity. This team has had little to no puck luck and it shows. When a guy like Travis Konecny has 80 scoring chances and only six goals, it sort of points you in the direction of what is currently happening.

Konecny finally got his 100th goal, but it was a lucky bounce off a few Islanders. To no lack of this team trying, it just seems like they have run into hot goaltender after hot goaltender and have not been able to really find ways to put pucks past them.

You would think that at some point, for everyone on this team, the floodgates would open and pucks would be finding the back of the net at a high clip, but it seems like that is not the case. While the Flyers have had momentum in games, bad luck strikes them whether its a great shot off the post, or a puck whistled dead, bad turnover or just bad timing on a shot which leads to a whiff of the puck. It is always something and it can not be helped.

Travis Sanheim as of late has been lazy and has been making bad turnovers. He has taken my attention off of Keith Yandle due to his bad play, but Mike Yeo fixed that for me by putting the two of them together last night and it was noticeable. Ristolainen returned to the lineup last night and added a bit of a spark. Ristolainen has been your best defensemen this year for sure and when him and Sanheim are playing at their best, they are the best pairing on this team. Now this is no disrespect to Provorov, but he just hasn’t been the same player he was a few years ago.

Now, in Provorov’s defense (thats a pun, get it), he has been playing with Braun who has been playing some of the best hockey of his career, but you have been asking a lot of him. Minutes catch up eventually and the body will feel the effects at some point. This team needs to get another defensmen to replace Ryan Ellis and to play with Provorov.

I personally do not know what this team has done to anger the hockey gods, but a ritual to appease them is most likely in order. The fact that this team has been so unlucky is mind boggling. They have effort, they work hard on their shifts, but it just seems to be falling on deaf ears on the council of hockey gods.

Projected Lineup

Farabee – Giroux – Atkinson

van Riemsdyk – Hayes – Mayhew

Lindblom – Laughton – Konecny

Frost – Bunnaman – MacEwen

Provorov – Braun

York – Ristolainen

Yandle – Sanheim

Hart

New York Islanders

Record: 12-13-6 (30 points, 8th in the Metro)

Once again the Islanders have a chance to keep their good play alive. While they didn’t have the best chances against the Flyers last night, they found ways to put the puck in the net. Now the Islanders will travel here to Philly. While on the road, the Islanders haven’t been great and that stems from 13 straight road games at the beginning of the season.

As I thought, the couple guys to score goals against the Flyers last night did. Brock Nelson, who leads the Islanders with 11 goals now, got on the board with a great shot on the rush last night. Anthony Beauvillier is absolutely becoming a Flyers killer. Before last night’s game, he had nine goals in 19 games against the Flyers. Now he has 10 in 20 games. One more goal than Barzal and less games as well.

While this team is at the bottom of the division, they like to take their time working their way back up the standings. It may be a little to late for them to make a push, but that will not stop them. Tonight’s game was originally the PPD game back from November 30th that got moved to tonight. This is a big help for the Islanders who are looking to get as many points as possible in these upcoming games.

The Islanders grind it out style of play is the reason why they play good hockey. If they can find the goal scoring, it will be a nightmare for any team in the league.

Projected Lineup

Lee – Barzal – Bailey

Bellows – Nelson – Beauvillier

Parise – Pageau – Wahlstrom

Martin – Cizikas – Clutterbuck

Pelech – Mayfield

Chara – Dobson

Salo – Greene

Varlamov

When, Where, and How to Watch

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Where: Wells Fargo Center

TV Broadcast: ESPN+

Radio Broadcast: 97.5 the Fanatic

Live Stream: Fubo TV

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