Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny scored in the shootout as the Philadelphia Flyers recovered from blowing a three-goal lead to post a 4-3 victory over the host New York Islanders on Friday in Elmont, N.Y.
With the win, Philadelphia remained perfect at 5-0 in shootouts this season. Tyson Foerster, Sean Couturier and Zegras scored in regulation for the Flyers, with Ersson making 28 saves before his shootout heroics.
Emil Heineman, Matthew Schaefer and Anders Lee scored in regulation for New York, while David Rittich made 18 saves. Simon Holmstrom tallied the lone shootout goal for the Islanders.
Zegras opened the shootout with a nifty backhander under the crossbar before Mathew Barzal rang one off the post on the other end. Matvei Michkov attempted a similar move to Zegras, but Rittich gloved it. Holmstrom then tied it with a deke to the backhand, beating Ersson.
Konecny snapped a wrister under Rittich’s arm to give the Flyers the advantage, and Ersson sealed it with a pad stop on Bo Horvat.
The Flyers scored 22 seconds apart in the first period on unassisted goals by Foerster and Couturier, both off defensive-zone turnovers by the Islanders. Philadelphia then made it 3-0 early in the second period when Emil Andrae’s pass caromed off Zegras and into the net.
However, New York bounced back with two goals in the next six and a half minutes.
First, Heineman buried his 10th of the season off a drop pass from Jonathan Drouin. Kyle Palmieri made the key play with a steal from Andrae to give the Islanders possession of the puck.
Shortly thereafter, Schaefer got a good look at a wrist shot from the left circle and beat Ersson for his eighth of the season. The Islanders tied it in the final minute of the second period, as Lee redirected Schaefer’s shot for a power-play goal.
Towards the end of the third period, a high-sticking penalty on Michkov gave New York a four-minute power play, but Ersson and the Flyers held firm.
The Islanders controlled the bulk of the play in overtime before the Flyers captured their eighth straight shootout, dating back to last season.
–Field Level Media
