Three positive points from the New York Islanders' preseason loss to the Philadelphia Flyers

The New York Islanders lost a tough game against the Philadelphia Flyers 2-0 on Thursday night in Philly. This time around, the loss wasn’t the result of an epic third-period collapse. It was more the result of a bad bounce that just didn’t go the Isles’ way.

Overall, the New York Islanders played a solid game. In fact, the Isles dominated the flow at various points in the game. By the final horn, the Islanders outshot the Flyers 37-26 but lost the game.

Despite the defeat, there were plenty of positives, especially after the disappointing loss against the New York Rangers earlier this week. So, let’s take a closer look at the three positive points from the New York Islanders' preseason loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Three positive points from the New York Islanders' preseason loss

The kids are all right

One highly encouraging sign was the play of several young players. In particular, Liam Foudy stood out. He was all over the ice on Thursday night, generating offense while avoiding costly mistakes. Foudy has been noticeable throughout camp this year, potentially inserting his name into the call-up conversation.

Also, newcomer Marc Gatcomb has looked in his limited action this preseason. Last year, the 25-year-old spent time with the Abbotsford Canucks. While he’s destined for Bridgeport this season, Gatcomb hasn’t looked out of place. So, he could become another name on the list of potential call-ups.

On the whole, the Isles have had encouraging signs from young players, generating optimism regarding the talent pipeline that could be coming from within the organization.

Holmstrom has been making strides

Simon Holmstrom lined up alongside Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri for most of the night. For the second game in a row, Holmstrom has passed the eye test. He looked sharp and seemed to fight right in with Nelson at center.

With Holmstrom’s positive performance, the Islanders may need to make a tough call. Throughout the offseason, Maxim Tsyplakov was considered the early candidate to play with Nelson and Palmieri. However, Holmstrom may be pushing himself into the top-six conversation. If that’s the case, does Holmstrom start the year on the second line?

If so, where does Tsyplakov fit in? Does he go down to the third line? The fact is that such a decision is a nice problem for Patrick Roy to have. If Holmstrom keeps playing at this rate, the Islanders could have themselves a minor logjam of top-six wingers.

Hogberg passed the eye test

In his first preseason outing, Hogberg looked serviceable. He didn’t stand on his head but played well enough to give the New York Islanders a chance to stay in the game.

But this time around, Hogberg went the distance making 24 saves. While he didn’t face a ton of shots, Hogberg made several quality saves.

One save that stood happened during the second period. Following a rush into the Isles’ zone, Morgan Frost unleashed a one-timer forcing Hogberg to slide from side to side. Hogberg absolutely robbed Frost and kept the game scoreless at the time.

Hogberg’s performance against the Flyers may have cemented his position as the backup to Semyon Varlamov when the season begins.