Islanders late rally not enough. Lose 3-2 to rival Flyers.

#91 John Tavares tries to squeeze through Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)

          The New York Islanders made a furious push in the final six minutes of the game against the Philadelphia Flyers, but fell short, losing 3-2, Thursday night.
          With the loss the Islanders fell into last place in the conference, holding a record of 28-32-11.  Their sixty-seven points is eleven behind the eighth place Washington Capitals.  
          The first forty minutes of the game belonged fully to the Flyers.  They took their first lead of the game at the 8:41 mark of the first.  Center Zac Rinaldo raced to the puck in the corner and flung one towards Isles goalie, Evgeni Nabokov.  The puck bounced off the back of Nabokov's right pad and in, to give the Flyers the early 1-0 lead.  The goal was Rinaldo's second of the season.  About five minutes later, at the 13:26 mark, right winger Claude Giroux was able to bury a one timer over the right leg of Nabokov, to give the Flyers the 2-0 advantage.  The goal was Giroux's twenty-sixth of the year.  
          The second period did not go much better for the Isles.  The Flyers would expand their lead at the 7:02 mark of the frame.  Left winger Scott Hartnell was led on a breakaway by his teammate, defenseman Kimmo Timonen.  Hartnell would capitalize on his opportunity and bury a wrist shot over the glove of Nabokov, to make it 3-0.  The goal was Hartnell's thirty-third of the year.  
          The Islanders would come out looking like a different team in the third.  They got more shots towards the net, and prevented the Flyers from getting anything difficult shots through to Nabokov.  The Isles would finally break through at the 13:30 mark, when defenseman Mark Streit fired a hard slap pass to right winger, Michael Grabner, who tipped it by Bryzgalov, to make it 3-1.  The goal was Grabner's sixteenth of the year.  Under a minute later, at the 14:05 mark, the Islanders would strike again.  Mark Streit would hold onto the puck and make a bevy of moves to get by three Flyer players, before putting the puck in front of the net, where center John Tavares would bang it home, to make it 3-2.  The goal was Tavares' team leading thirty-first of the year.  However, the Isles' final push in the last minute was not enough as the Flyers would hang onto the lead and get the win.  
          The Isles have only eleven games left this year, and will do everything they can to get as many of the twenty-two remaining points they can.
          Their journey starts in Montreal, against the Canadiens, Saturday night.  Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM.                  

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