PHILADELPHIA — The Flyers, perhaps energized knowing they have a rare three-day break before their next game, dominated the first two periods Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center.
The outhustled the Islanders, won a majority of the board battles, and spent most of the first 40 minutes in New York’s end.
But Isles goalie Ilya Sorokin was the great equalizer, and, in the end, his strong play and a fluke goal were the difference as the Islanders jolted the Flyers in overtime, 1-0.
With 2:37 left in overtime, the Isles won it when Nick Leddy’s pass deflected off Travis Sanheim’s stick and through the legs of goalie Brian Elliott, who had no chance.
Elliott (27 saves) was brilliant in defeat.
The Flyers killed penalties to Kevin Hayes and Wade Allison early in the third. On that latter penalty, Sorokin stopped Sean Couturier on a shorthanded breakaway with 12:28 left in regulation.
Elliott kept the Islanders off the scoreboard when he denied Casey Cizikas from point-blank range with a little over eight minutes left. Elliott, as he was falling down, then robbed Kyle Palmieri from the slot after a loose puck pinballed to him with 7:11 remaining.
The Islanders controlled the third period and outshot the Flyers, 13-6, but Elliott stood tall.
The teams reached overtime in six of their eight meetings this year.
Early in the second, the Flyers failed to capitalize on the game’s first power play, and, shortly after the Islanders went back to full strength, Elliott stopped Cizikas on a two-on-one chance, keeping the game scoreless with 16:09 to go in the period.
“Moose” chants echoed around the Wells Fargo Center.
Sorokin stopped Hayes and Allison from the doorstep later in the period, so the teams were still 0-0.
The Isles’ Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anthony Beauvillier botched a two-on-one with about three minutes left in the second, missing a chance to take the lead.
With 27.9 seconds to go in the period, Elliott made a glove save on Brock Nelson’s left-circle shot that went between defenseman Justin Braun’s legs.
The Flyers had a 23-13 shots advantage after the first two periods, and they had a 46-24 domination in shot attempts.
The Flyers controlled the first period against the surprisingly disorganized Islanders, even more than their 8-4 shots advantage might suggest. But they couldn’t convert some odd-man rushes, and had 13 shots that were either blocked or missed the net.
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In other words, they showed why they have struggled offensively over the last month. They had averaged 2.2 goals in their last 16 games before Sunday.
Joel Farabee fired wide on a golden chance, and Sorokin stopped Travis Sanheim as he tried to finish a two-on-one on another great opportunity. The 25-year-old Russian goaltender also denied Sanheim on another chance out front.
Sorokin, a rookie who is having an outstanding season and who will give the Isles a tough decision when forming their expansion-protection list, has looked like Billy Smith in his prime against the Flyers this season. He entered the night 4-0-1 with a 1.89 GAA and .933 save percentage against the Flyers.
The puck sails over Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott as teammate Robert Hagg skates into the play during Sunday's second period.
The puck sails over Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott as teammate Robert Hagg skates into the play during Sunday's second period.YONG KIM / Staff Photographer
Down the other end, Elliott made a key stop on Michael Dal Colle early in the opening period, and Mathew Barzal fired wide on a two-on-one with 46 seconds to go in the stanza.
Sozrokin was the best player in the opening 20 minutes, and, because of him, the Flyers failed to carry a lead into the second period for the 17th time in their last 19 games.
The Islanders, who had won the previous four meetings against the Flyers, needed a win to move past Pittsburgh and into second place in the East Division. The Penguins were jolted by Buffalo, 4-2, earlier Sunday.
The Flyers began the night 10 points behind surging Boston for the East’s final playoff spot. Philly had gone 9-14-3 since the start of March, and with just 11 games left, time is running out.
