Isles vs. Flyers preview: Playoff positioning at stake
There’s no rest for the Islanders, nor time to savor their latest victory.
The Islanders face the surging Flyers on Tuesday night at Barclays Center, their lone home game in a seven-game stretch, after topping the Metropolitan Division-leading Capitals, 5-3, on Monday night to improve their recent run to 4-1-2
“It’s not going to be easy,” said Josh Bailey, who had three, first-period assists at Washington. “We’re fighting for position, it’s a big divisional opponent. It’s part of playing in this league. You’ve got to be ready physically, mentally, emotionally to ramp it back up in a short time span.”
Flyers won their second straight and improved their recent run to 8-2-1 with a 4-1 win over the visiting Panthers on Monday night. They also won, 7-2, at Washington on Saturday.
Monday’s win moved the Islanders back into third place in the Metropolitan Division and they are just three points behind the second-place Penguins, who host the Lightning on Tuesday night.
But the Islanders are also just one point ahead of the Flyers, who hold the Eastern Conference’s second and final wild-card spot, though they’ve played two fewer games.
“We knew these two games were going to be tough tests, obviously good teams that are charging in the standings,” said Brock Nelson, who also had three assists on Monday.
The Islanders won the first two games this season against the Flyers, in their first season under former Rangers coach Alain Vigneault. But the teams have not played since an Islanders’ 4-3 shootout win at Philadelphia on Nov. 16
“They’re a good hockey team,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “They’re playing a 200-foot game. They’ve got some offensive weapons. They pressure. They’re a deep hockey team and they’re getting good goaltending. So, it’s no different from the team we just played. They’ve got some dynamic people as well. We’ve just got to show up and play hard.”
Carter Hart made 30 saves against the Panthers on Monday as he returned after missing nine games with a strained lower right abdominal muscle. But Brian Elliott, who made 25 saves against the Capitals on Saturday, is expected to start against the Islanders.
Semyon Varlamov, who allowed two goals on 29 shots in Saturday’s 3-1 loss at Tampa Bay and has just one victory in his last six starts, is expected to be in net for the Islanders as Trotz alternates his goalies for a sixth straight game. Thomas Greiss made 25 saves against the Capitals.
Anthony Beauvillier, Bailey and Nelson’s linemate, scored twice in the first period at Washington to extend his point streak to a career-high six games, with five goals and three assists in that span.
“I think he’s just playing free and having fun,” Nelson said. “He’s skating and he’s getting good looks. He’s not thinking too much and just playing fast. He’s got all the tools you need to play and be good in this league. He’s elevated his game lately.”
Beauvillier scored twice in the third period in the Islanders’ last game against the Flyers as they rallied from a three-goal deficit over the final 12:14 of regulation and won it as both Jordan Eberle and Mathew Barzal converted in the shootout against Elliott.
Presumably, the lone lineup question for the Islanders is whether Kieffer Bellows goes back on Derick Brassard’s third line with Michael Dal Colle after being a healthy scratch in favor of Ross Johnston on Monday, or if the burly left wing remains in the lineup.
After Tuesday night’s game, the Islanders open a four-game Western swing on Thursday night at Nashville.
Here are the projected lineups:
Islanders (32-16-6)
Anders Lee-Mathew Barzal-Jordan Eberle
Anthony Beauvillier-Brock Nelson-Josh Bailey
Ross Johnston-Derick Brassard-Michael Dal Colle
Matt Martin-Casey Cizikas-Leo Komarov
Nick Leddy-Johnny Boychuk
Devon Toews-Ryan Pulock
Noah Dobson-Scott Mayfield
Semyon Varlamov (16-9-4, 2.58 goals-against average, .915 save percentage)
Flyers (31-18-7)
Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Jakub Voracek
Scott Laghton-Kevin Hayes-Travis Konecny
James van Riemsdyk-Morgan Frost-Tyler Pitlick
Michael Raffl-Connor Bunnaman-Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Ivan Provorov-Matt Niskanen
Travis Sanheim-Philippe Myers
Robert Hagg-Justin Braun
Brian Elliott (14-6-4, 2.86, .901)
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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