In the span of ten minutes on Tuesday, the Islanders proved that they are not as formidable as made out. The Flyers however proved exactly why they are going to go a second consecutive season without playoff hockey.
The Islanders trailed 4-1 with eleven minutes left in the third period before mounting an impressive comeback to make it 4.3 with just over a minute remaining. With Flyers fans worried that they would go yet another game against the Islanders without a win, Philly stepped up large. In a crazy finish that saw three goals scored in the final two minutes, Brayden Schenn won it with a shot somehow beating the Islanders keeper with just 2.1 seconds left thus giving the Flyers a crazy 5-4 win over the confused and crushed Isles. Giroux now leads the NHL with 37 power play points, himself Bellemare and Colaiacovo joined Brayden Schenn on the score sheet.
This win meant that The Flyers avoided being swept in a season series by NY for the first time in the teams history and to put the icing on the cake, prevented the team from making the playoffs. That would have all been different if The Isles could have mustered a point or if Ottawa lost.
Fans will have mixed emotions right now but a win is a win and it may just take something that crazy to restore faith and hope behind the Flyers as they move into their closing games of the campaign. There will be some huge changes in the off-season, if you’re going to impress the coach..or if you’re the coach then the board, it’s now or never! Some players are playing for their Philly future..and it’s showing. Maybe the season would have taken a different route if they showed this resilience earlier on!
