Flyers Soar by Islanders

Flyers celebrate one of six goals (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

          The Islanders could not hold onto an early lead for the third consecutive game, losing in Philadelphia 6-3.
          With the loss the Isles now sit nine points behind the eighth place Winnipeg Jets.  The Isles have eighteen games left to play and Winnipeg has sixteen.  
          The Isles opened the scoring quickly when at the 1:35 mark; center Josh Bailey was able to bury a wrist shot by the Philadelphia goaltender, Ilya Bryzgalov.  The lead would only last about eight minutes when Philadelphia's right winger Matt Reed was able to deflect a shot by defenseman Andrej Meszaros, that got by Isles goaltender Evgeni Nabokov. Meszaros would get a goal of his own at the 19:10 mark when he blasted a slap shot by Nabokov, for his seventh of the year.  
          The second period would see the Islanders score yet another quick goal.  Just fifty seconds into the frame Bailey would net his second goal of the game and tie it 2-2.  The two goals were Bailey's eighth and ninth of the year.  That would be all the Islanders would have to cheer about in the second.  Philadelphia would take over with two goals.  First, at the 8:58 mark, right winger Jaromir Jagr would find the back of the net, lifting a backhander over the pads of Nabokov.  It was Jagr's seventeenth of the year.  Under a minute later Reed would score his second of the game, with a wrist shot by Nabokov.  The goals were Reed's seventeenth and eighteenth of the year.  
          Philadelphia would extend their lead just over a minute into the frame when left winger Scott Hartnell would snap one by Nabokov's blocker to make it 5-2.  It was Hartnell's thirty-first goal of the year.  The Islanders would close the gap when right winger Kyle Okposo buried a one-timer to make it 5-3.  The goal was Okposo's fourteenth.  The Islanders would pull Nabokov with a minute left in the game.  Though they pressed a little, it wasn't enough as with twenty seven seconds left in the game, Philadelphia center Sean Couturier would hit the empty net and ice the game.  
          The Islanders now have a record of 26-29-9 and have 61 points, which places them fourteenth in the Eastern Conference.   
          The Islanders continue their four game road trip, when they travel to Boston on Saturday.  It will be the last game on the road before coming home and playing a home and home series against the rival Devils.  Puck drop in against the Bruins is scheduled for 1 PM