Postgame RAV4: Flyers Rescue Shootout Win in Elmont

On Black Friday, the Philadelphia Flyers earned a 4-3 (2-1) shootout win over the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. Philadelphia established -- and lost -- a 3-0 lead in regulation. Two shootout goals ensured the victory.

After striking for back-to-back goals in the final minute of regulation on Wednesday, the combination of Tyson Foerster and Sean Couturier struck again in the first period of this game. Spaced 20 seconds apart, goals by Foerster (8th of the season) and Couturier (4th) built a 2-0 edge.

Early in the second period, Trevor Zegras (PPG, 8th) scored a puck luck power play goal on an attempted pass that went off a defender's skate into the net. The Flyers grabbed a 3-0 lead. The Islanders then responded with goals by Earl Heineman (10th), Matthew Schaefer (8th) and Anders Lee (PPG, 5th) to tie the game at 3-3 by the end of the period.

In the shootout, the Flyers got first-round and third-round goals from Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny. Simon Holmstrom had a second-round goal for the Islanders.

Samuel Ersson stopped 28 of 31 shots through 65 minutes before making two saves on three shootout attempts. David Rittich made 18 saves on 21 shots in regulation and overtime. He stopped one of three in the shootout.

First period synopsis

The Flyers took the game's first penalty. Tyson Foerster took a careless high-sticking penalty as he tried to lift Matthew Schaefer's stick in the neutral zone. Philly blocked Bo Horvat and Matthew Schaefer shot attempts. A Hovat one-timer went wide. Ersson never had to make a save.

For the first time in the last 10 games, the Flyers scored first. Travis Sanheim used his feet to break the puck out of the defensive zone. Up-ice, he passed to Travis Konecny. On the right side, Foerster grabbed the puck away from an Islander. He skated down to the hash marks, fired and scored at 7:30. Assists were initially given to Konecny and Sanheim but the goal was changed to unassisted due to the momentary change of possession.

Just 20 seconds later, Philadelphia scored again. New York's Tony DeAngelo turned over the puck while Bobby Brink pressured. From the left circle, Couturier fired a shot off the right post and into the net for a 2-0 lead. The goal was unassisted.

The Islanders went back to the power play at 17:10. Rodigo Abols was tripped up and, in turn, tripped Simon Holmstrom. The second infraction was whistled.

The Flyers went to their first power play with 3.1 second left in the period. Kyle McLean was called for leading with his elbow on a hit against Emil Andrae near the New York blueline. The Flyers took 1:57 of power play into the second period.

Shots: Flyers 3 - Islanders 6

Faceoffs: Flyers 8 - Islanders 9

Notable:

• The Flyers blocked 13 New York shot attempts in the period. Cam York blocked four. Seeler blocked two others.

Second period synopsis

Andrae had a fine scoring chance on the carryover power play. At 1:55, Zegras attempted to make a cross-ice pass to Matvei Michkov. The pass went off Ryan Pulock's skate and redirected past Rittich for a 3-0 lead. Andrae and Michkov earned the assists.

At 5:42, the Islanders got the goal back. Andrae brought the puck back from the neutral zone into the defensive zone as a limping Kyle Palmieri returned toward the bench. Palmieri poked the puck away from Andrae, Drouin made a drop pass to Heineman, who scored. New York had too many men on the ice as the play unfolded but the officials missed it.

Ersson made three straight tough saves -- the last one being a 10-bell save on Horvat from point-blank range -- to keep the lead at 3-1.

On a delayed penalty on Garnet Hathaway after a flubbed clearing attempt, Schaefer skated down to the left dot and ripped a shot past Ersson to narrow the gap to 3-2. The assists went to Anthony Duclair and Pulock.

Travis Sanheim was tripped at the offensive blueline by Horvat at 15:53. Philly went to their second power play of the game. With 29 seconds left on the power play, Konecny was sent off on a holding penalty -- the referee close to the play didn't make a call but the trailing ref called it from the neutral zone.

At 19:13, a Maxim Shabanov shot deflected off Lee near the net and went into the net to tie the game at 3-3. The second assist went to Schaefer.

Shots: Flyers 12 (15 overall) - Islanders 13 (19 overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 8 (16 overall) - Islanders 7 (16 overall)

Third period synopsis

Early in the third period. Michkov made a couple of shifty moves to keep the puck inside the blueline. He fired a tricky shot on the net.

Heineman hit the crossbar. Dysdale and Adam Pelech traded off excellent chances. The score stayed tied at 3-3. Schaefer then had back-to-back outstanding shifts for New York. He nearly scored on the latter.

At 13:20, Michkov was called for a high-sticking double minor. The first half of the kill went well, although Heineman blasted a right-circle one-timer off the crossbar. Seeler and Juulsen combined for a clutch clear. Hathaway cleared the next New York entry. Just after the penalty expired, the Islanders iced the puck.

Shots: Flyers 5 (20 overall) - Islanders 9 (28 overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 6 (22 overall) - Islanders 9 (25 overall)

Notable:

• The Flyers barely hung on to force overtime. New York turned Philly players inside out several times.
• Schaefer in particular dictated the play for the Islanders. With one point in the bag, the Flyers still had a chance for the second.

Overtime synopsis

Horvat missed the net off a Schaefer feed. Foerster turned the puck over and New York kept possession.

Droiun had an open shot on Ersson. The goalie made the save but turned the puck over. The Flyers escaped.

Zegras missed the net on a 2-on-1 rush. A late Sanheim shot off a Zegras steal got blocked.

The Islanders had the better of the puck possession and chances in sudden death. Ersson was the main reason the game got to a shootout.

Shots: Flyers 1 (21 overall) - Islanders 3 (31 overall)

Faceoffs: Flyers 1 (23 overall) - Islanders 1 (26 overall)

Shootout synopsis

• 1st round: Zegras scored upstairs on the backhand (4-for-4 this season). Barzal fired a shot off the right post.
• 2nd round: Michkov was stopped with the glove attempting the same move Zegras did. Holmstrom scored on a west-east move just inside the right post past Ersson's outstretched skate.
• 3rd round: Konecny scored over the blocker after moving against the grain. Horvat was denied on his five-hole attempt to end the game.

Flyers Starting Lineup

Trevor Zegras - Christian Dvorak - Owen Tippett
Tyson Foerster - Noah Cates - Travis Konecny
Matvei Michkov - Sean Couturier - Bobby Brink
Nikita Grebenkin - Rodrigo Abols – Garnet Hathaway

Cam York – Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale
Emil Andrae – Noah Juulsen

Samuel Ersson
[Dan Vladar]

Postgame RAV4 (RAV4 Things Revisited)

1. Play from ahead

For just the seventh time all season, the Flyers scored the game's first goal. They had just three shots on goal in the first period, but found the net on two. In the second period, Philly saw a three-goal lead slip away. The game went to the third period knotted.

2. Between the pipes

Ersson stepped up huge for the Flyers in overtime and especially in the shootout. He deserved the win.

3. Flyers special teams

The Flyers went 1-for-2 on the power play. They were 4-for-5 on the penalty kill.

4. Konecny vs. Horvat

Konecny had the bragging rights over his cousin by the time the game ended. Konecny scored the winner, while Horvat was stoned on the final attempt. Overall, Konecny had a rather frustrating game before the shootout. So did Horvat, although he was 12-for-17 on faceoffs. Horvat had a half-dozen shots on goal on 12 attempts. Konency did not attempt a shot.