PHILADELPHIA — The Islanders felt deflated in the course of the third interval in opposition to the Flyers on Tuesday evening.
They have been trailing by a objective after Claude Giroux break up two defenders earlier than ending, and have been staring a gut-punch loss within the face. However then, after successful from Philadelphia’s Zack MacEwen on Scott Mayfield took the Islanders defenseman’s helmet off, Zdeno Chara stepped in.
Chara decisively beat MacEwen within the ensuing battle, and that second galvanized the Islanders.
“Our bench perked up after that,” head coach Barry Trotz mentioned, “after which our Id Line got here via.”
Casey Cizikas tied the rating along with his second objective in as many nights off a feed from Mayfield, and Oliver Wahlstrom received it within the ninth spherical of a marathon shootout, lifting the Islanders to a 4-3 victory that obtained them again to .500 after greater than two months with a shedding document.
They first fell under .500 on Nov. 16. The lengthy highway again — after the underside fell out on this season — is the primary of many steps they need to take in an effort to obtain their objective of returning to the playoffs for a fourth straight season.
“The arrogance comes with taking part in effectively, discovering methods to win, what have you ever,” Trotz mentioned. “It’s beginning to develop. There’s belief beginning to develop, which is essential.”
The Islanders have earned factors in seven of their previous eight video games, and can now play seven straight video games at residence earlier than the All-Star break. They couldn’t ask for a greater likelihood to get again into the postseason race.
“Getting rhythm for us might be actual key,” Trotz mentioned. “Clearly we gotta make up some video games, they’re gonna be compressed. It’s a problem. I feel this group’s up for the problem.”
On Tuesday, although, the main focus was simply to test off the primary objective on the record: getting again to .500.
It seemed as if the Islanders would fail to take action after Giroux’s objective 4:05 into the third interval gave the Flyers a 3-2 lead. However with 4:28 to go, Cizikas scored simply his second objective of the season (additionally his second in two nights) off a Mayfield cross.
In extra time, the Islanders obtained an enormous save by Semyon Varlamov (who completed with 31) on a two-on-one rush. That despatched the sport to what grew to become the longest shootout within the NHL this season.
Simply over two minutes into the sport, Robin Salo opened the scoring with a slap shot that obtained by Carter Hart. However the Flyers discovered their footing quickly after, with James van Riemsdyk scoring at 14:39 on an influence play after Cam York’s shot went off the tip boards and Varlamov seemed to be caught unaware by van Riemsdyk within the crease.
The Islanders took the lead again at 13:28 within the second, when Josh Bailey transformed Anthony Beauvillier’s cross to the crease. However they handed it proper again lower than 30 seconds later, with Travis Konecny scoring after Oskar Lindblom nicked the puck off Varlamov, who was taking part in it out of his crease.
The Flyers doubled the Islanders’ shot complete within the second interval, placing them on their heels in the course of the sport for the second evening in a row. And for the second evening in a row, the Islanders discovered a option to come away with two factors.
It took a Herculean effort from Varlamov. After he stopped 9 pictures within the shootout, he mentioned: “As we speak was disturbing.”
That it was. And make no mistake: .500 is a paltry milestone to be celebrating in mid-January. Nevertheless it’s a milestone nonetheless, and the Islanders haven’t had a lot to be pleased with within the final two months.
“That’s a place to begin,” Trotz mentioned. “We’re again, [you can say] we obtained our nostril simply on the water stage. Now see if we are able to maintain climbing up the ladder right here.”
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