Flyers can’t rally for win, lose to Islanders in OT, 4-3 Flyers gain point, but feel Isles breathing on their necks

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PHILADELPHIA – The Flyers’ Morgan Frost scored with 10 seconds left on the game clock to tie the New York Islanders, 3-3, and force extra time on Monday night.

Anders Lee #27 of the New York Islanders deflect the puck past goalie Ivan Fedotov #82 of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Islanders replied with a strike by Brock Nelson at 1:24 of the extra session for a 4-3 win, to pull the Isles to within three points of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

“You can’t let stuff like that change your mindset,” the Islanders’ Anders Lee said. “This is a hockey game that, there’s ebbs and flows. There’s mistakes, there’s momentum changes. Stay even-keeled. Keep pushing. It happens. Goal goes in, what’re you going to do from there? I think we responded well in overtime.”

Nelson scored after Frost turned the puck over the defensive zone.

“Didn’t really feel like we were going to have a look in overtime there without the puck,” Nelson said. “And then a good job by [Palmieri] to stay on it and force that turnover, and made a nice play there to get that. Nice to get on the score sheet and hopefully get rolling.”

Semyon Varlamov made 30 saves in the win.

New York moved to 32-27-15.

“I mean, no one was happy when [Frost’s goal] went in, because we knew exactly what it meant,” New York coach Patrick Roy said. “… We might not be happy to give them one point today, but we’re going to be happy maybe down the road to have those two points.”

The Flyers took a 1-0 lead on a marker form Noah Cates  at 4:57, hitting off a shot from the high slot.

The Isles replied with a pair of goals over an 18-second span.

Matt Martin knotted the game, 1-1, at 12:03, scoring off a series of bad clearing attempts by the Flyers.

“I think both teams played pretty desperate,” Martin said. “It felt like a playoff game. Lot of emotion, lot of energy. Tough to give up one late, but good response by ‘Palms’ and ‘Nelly’ there. Big goal.”

Bo Horvat scored 18 seconds later to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead, scoring off a shot from the left circle.

Philadelphia dropped to 36-29-11 off their fifth straight loss.

Travis Sanheim got the Flyers even, 2-2 with 43 seconds gone in the middle frame, scoring after an end to end rush.

“Not sure we really liked our game for the majority of it, but find a way to get a point,” Sanheim said. “Unfortunate break in overtime.”

Lee restored the Islanders lead at 3-2 when he potted a marker at 17:54, scoring off a deflection.

“This is a huge game for us to make up some ground,” Nelson said. “Would have liked to do it in regulation, for sure, but to get the extra point, it’s still something. … We were approaching it like it was a do-or-die scenario for us, just given that this is a team specifically that we’re chasing, couple games in hand. We need the points.”

The Flyers were pushed around in the middle frame, being outshot, 17-3.

“Soft,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said. “One guy played: the goalie.

“There are certain people, they don’t have a clue how to play or just don’t have it in them to play in these types of situations. And this is why I’m glad we’re playing them, because we have to figure things out as far as what we’re going to become as a team here. That was embarrassing, the second period for the Philadelphia Flyer uniform, the way we played. Embarrassing. High marks as far as how we came back in the third (outshot New York 19-3).”

Ivan Fedotov made 19 saves in his debut with the Flyers.

Samuel Ersson got the start for the Flyers, he made four saves in the first period, surrendering two goals before getting the hook in the first intermission.
“I’m not a young guy (27 years old) and have some experience and know how it’s working,” Fedotov said. “I don’t care if it’s playing from the first minute or during the game. I need to play, so it doesn’t matter. I just want to help the team. Give energy, emotion and that’s it.”

Semyon Varalamov #40 of the New York Islanders

Noah Cates #27 of the Philadelphia Flyers

Noah Cates #27 of the Philadelphia Flyers shoots the puck

Noah Cates #27 of the Philadelphia Flyers scores a goal in the first period against Semyon Varalamov #40 of the New York Islanders

Tyson Foerster #71 of the Philadelphia Flyers, Adam Pelech #3 and goalie Semyon Varalamov #40 of the New York Islanders

Semyon Varalamov #40 of the New York Islanders clears the puck from behind the net.

Matt Martin #17 of the New York Islanders receive congratulations from his teammates for his goal in the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Morgan Frost #48 of the Philadelphia Flyers and Matt Martin #17 of the New York Islanders

Rookie goalie Ivan Fedotov #82 of the Philadelphia Flyers starts the second period against the New York Islanders

Travis Sanheim #6 of the Philadelphia Flyers scores a goal against the New York Islanders in the second period.

Flyers and Islanders players fight for position in front of goalie Semyon Varalamov #40 of the New York Islanders

Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders goes one on one against Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov #82

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov #82 makes a glove save on Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov #82 takes a puck to the chest

Anders Lee #27 of the New York Islanders deflect the puck past goalie Ivan Fedotov #82 of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Semyon Varalamov #40 of the New York Islanders makes a blocker save.

Bo Horvat #14 of the New York Islanders

Morgan Frost #48 of the Philadelphia Flyers pokes the puck past goalie Semyon Varalamov #40 of the New York Islanders and other defenders with 9 seconds left in then third period.

Morgan Frost #48 of the Philadelphia Flyers is surrounded by his teammate celebrating his tying goal in the third period.

Brock Nelson #29 of the New York Islanders raises his stick in celebration of the winning goal in the overtime period against the Philadelphia Flyers.