The Hockey Herald

The Flyers came into Tuesday’s contest vs. the Islanders at the Wachovia Center looking to extend their three game winning streak and rise above .500 for the first time this season. 

 The Flyers, having scored at least 4 goals in their last 5 games, tried to get the early jump by using a set play from the opening face-off to spring Mike Richards, but it failed.  The teams never settled in, though, and combined for 15 shots midway through the first period.

Mike Knuble got the game’s first goal on a one-timer from high in the slot.  Glen Metropolit, who had a solid game, won an offensive zone face-off.  Then there was some tic-tac-toe passing between Gagne and Eminger, that led to Gagne’s pass to Knuble in the slot. 

An early season concern for the Flyers is taking questionable penalties.  It happened again tonight as Scottie Upshall took an ill-advised hooking penalty in the offensive zone.  The Islanders scored on the ensuing power play as Bill Guerin ripped a one-timer over the blocker of Biron, who seemed not to see the shot off of Guerin’s stick.

 The Flyers got their first power play of the game at the 11:14 mark of the first period when Jon Sim was called for tripping.  The power play figured to be key in this game since the Flyers converted 43% of their opportunities vs. the Islanders last year.  But, despite good pressure, they failed to convert.

Jeff Carter regained the lead on a deflection of an Ossi Vaananen shot from the point.  It was his eighth goal in the last eight games, and he wasn’t done.

The second period saw the wide open play dissipate into a very chippy contest.  Two Flyers power plays yielded the only real sustained pressure by either team.  But, again, the Flyers failed to convert.  The Islanders manged a number of offensive flurries late in the period and Marty Biron was forced to make several big saves.  The Flyers need to play better in the closing minutes of periods.  This was evidenced by Aaron Asham taking a lazy holding penalty at the 18:53 mark.  They killed off the first minute and avoided another late goal against which allowed them to carry a 2-1 advantage into the second intermission.

The third period opened with he Flyers successfully killing off the remainder of the Islander power play.  But, as the third period wore on, the team continued to fall back into a defensive shell instead of trying to continue to apply pressure.  As the Islanders began to open it up trying to get the game tying goal, the Flyers got a few odd man rushes but weren’t able to capitalize on any of them.

The Islanders managed to tie the game as a result of a weird bounce and a defensive breakdown.  Off an offensive zone face-off win, the puck came to Andy Hilbert behind the Flyers net.  Sbisa didn’t challenge him, a rare mistake by the 18 year old rookie, and Hilbert walked out in front and banked a shot off of Vannanen and behind Biron.  The Flyers were now faced with trying to meet the Islanders intensity in the final seven minutes after sitting back for most of the third period.

The teams remained tied after three periods, but Kimmo Timonen took a holding the stick penalty at the end of regulation after the Islanders managed a decent flurry in the final seconds.

The Flyers had an excellent penalty kill to start the overtime and Biron turned the Islanders away with two great saves.  The overtime evened out after the penalty expired, until Islanders forward Frans Nielsen took a holding penalty.

 On the resulting power play Mike Richards hit an open Jeff Carter with a pass that was slowed by two diving Islander defenders.  Carter made no mistake, using that devastating wrist shot to bury the puck in the top shelf, his second goal of the game, giving the Flyers a 3-2 overtime win and raising them above .500 on the season.

 Positives:

• Luca Sbisa has 4 points in his last 5 games.  He is beginning to show his offensive prowess
• Marty Biron had a solid game between the pipes, the goaltending seems to finally be coming around
• Jeff Carter remains red hot
• The Metropolit; Knuble; Gagne line seems to have instant chemistry

Negatives:

• The Flyers seemed to be rest on their laurels for large parts of this game, maybe taking the Islanders for granted after dismantling the Thrashers on Tuesday night.
• Players must stop taking undisciplined penalties
• This team must find a way to bear down in the third period when they have a lead, and not just lay back and let teams come to them.  That is a recipe for disaster.

-mt

Related posts:

1. Flyers net first victory of the season
2. Flyers Finding Rhythm Against Thrashers
3. Is Biron good enough?
4. Flyers Boulerice returns after serving 25-game suspension
5. Flyers, Carter agree on three-year deal