Islanders vs. Flyers: Isles extend losing streak to five games (Highlights)

Roster moves. We’re going to continue seeing a few of these before every New York Islanders game this season. This time three players would go to the taxi squad: Oliver Wahlstrom, Kieffer Bellows, and Leo Komarov.

We know why Komarov was moved to the taxi squad. The veteran’s play has been a problem at both ends of the ice over the last few games. But the two rookies have looked good specifically last night against the Flyers.

In their place comes Dmytro Timashov and Austin Czarnik. It seems that Barry Trotz will run through all of his options before settling on a final roster.

Which is a tough pill to swallow when Barry Trotz was pissed off with the Islanders play the other day. They finally figured it out and he (and Lou) make a big change on the roster? Today didn’t seem like the right time for it.

The New York Islanders drop another game to the Philadelphia Flyers in OT

But if the Islanders could continue to dominate the Flyers as they did in the final two-thirds of the game yesterday, the changes would be all worth it.

Yesterday, they were playing a controlled game that saw them keep the puck and create opportunities. Unfortunately, it was for naught as they’d drop the game in overtime. But there were positives to build off of for today.

In the first third of this one, the Islanders kept it rolling by controlling the shots, scoring chances, and high danger chances. But as has been the case for a few years now, they failed to find the back of the net. Only Flyers forward Joel Farabee would put up a goal (more on him later).

They carried the momentum but had nothing to show for it. Frustrating for sure, but in the middle of a four-game losing streak, the Islanders need to take whatever win they can get. Being the better team is a win.

Built it, Brick by Brick

Thirty-eight seconds into the second period, Nick Leddy scores his first of the season on the power play. That’s a big win for a number of reasons. First, the Islanders are on the board. Second, the Isles have a single PPG over their last four games and carry a 5% efficiency coming into this one.

With three strong periods in the books and now a PPG (from Nick Leddy), the Islanders were building themselves back up brick by brick.

Joel Farabee decided to tear them down one brick at a time.

Less than two minutes after the Isles get on the board Farabee picks up his second and then completes the hat-trick 15:52 through the second. The Isles were the second-best team in that second frame. They had seemingly forgotten everything they had built over the last three periods of play against the Flyers and let the black and orange to dictate play.

The third needed to be different. Way different. And fast.

Within six minutes of play in the third, the blue and orange erased that two-goal lead with goals from Josh Bailey and Mathew Barzal and pushed the game to overtime. Where they don’t have any luck against the Flyers.

Today was yet another one of those occasions. They were a little more aggressive in OT, but unfortunately, Mathew Barzal was WAY too aggressive as he takes a high-sticking penalty late in the extra-frame. The PK would give up the game-winning goal to Kevin Hayes.

I don’t pretend to be an NHL caliber head-coach, but it seems like a weird call to change a lineup that was playing well. At least Austin Czarnik was good, but it’s clear why the Red Wings were fine to get future considerations for Dmytro Timashov. The former Leaf and Red Wing (who wore number 41) wasn’t a positive on the ice and will certainly head back to the taxi squad, ASAP.

Winners

Joel Farabee (hat-trick): He scored all three of Philly’s regulation time goals.
Kevin Hayes (OT GWG): Nice goal. Sucks that it happened.
James Van Riemsdyk (3A): He’s usually the one scoring goals not setting them up.

Losers

Mathew Barzal (1G, 1A): Dumb penalty to take, at a dumb place, at a dumb time. It’s the second time in two games that Barzal takes a careless high-sticking call.
Jordan Eberle (-2): He did next to nothing today. Not good.
Dmytro Timashov (1SOG, -2): He’s a taxi squad player and it showed.