Good start for the Flyers with the forecheck forcing a couple Islanders miscues early. The effort would net the Flyers the first couple scoring chances of the evening, but Thomas Greiss held down the fort early for New York.
Playing for the first time since way back in the Montreal series, Brian Elliott got into the game with a nice stop on Jordan Eberle a little over five minutes in.
Cal Clutterbuck stuck his leg out on Travis Sanheim to give the Flyers the first power play of the night. Greiss would be in scramble mode early but sent the Flyers away with another empty man advantage.
Today, Clutterbuck on Sanheim. Yesterday, Clutterbuck on Myers. pic.twitter.com/2018DBcbX3
— Brad Keffer (@brad_keffer) August 31, 2020
The only Flyer on the ice with any juice was the goalie — again — as Elliott showed off during an Islanders power play late in the period with some awesome saves to keep things scoreless.
No score after 20 rather uneventful minutes for the Flyers.
The post behind Greiss denied the Flyers of an opening goal a little into the second off a Travis Sanheim point shot, but the ricochet off the post found its way right back under the netminder to halt play. They’d pay for that missed chance as Brock Nelson would open the scoring a few minutes later to give the Islanders the 1-0 lead. Surprise, surprise, but two Flyers turnovers ended with their goalie picking the puck out of his own net.
With 4:41 left and things looking bleak a glimmer of hope from Sean Couturier as he tipped home a Justin Braun point shot to even it at 1-1.
There’s one! Couturier ties the game. pic.twitter.com/YKjl4td8gB
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) August 31, 2020
And boy oh boy did they ever need that goal, especially with the Islanders’ propensity for locking down leads. More pressure from the Flyers late in the period but Greiss was able to keep things tied with a couple desperation saves near the end of the second. After 40 minutes, 1-1 with goals from Nelson and Couturier the only markers on the board.
Early in the third it would be the post behind Elliott giving the Flyers some luck as an Adam Pelech shot was rejected by the iron. At the other end Greiss was up to the task as Claude Giroux’s diving attempt was met with the pad of the netminder on a bang-bang play. That’d prove to be key save as Jean-Gabriel Pageau beat Elliott on the ensuing shift after getting sprung on a quick developing breakaway, giving the Islanders a 2-1 lead with less than 13 minutes remaining.
Nelson would provide the dagger with 8:48 left after a ten bell save from Greiss on Travis Konecny at the other end. The Islanders worked the 2-on-1 perfectly to make it 3-1 and all but securing a 3-1 series lead.
A late laser from Ivan Provorov slid right past Greiss to pull the Flyers within one and just 1:05 left in regulation. Greiss had to reset and wasn’t able to find the puck through traffic as Provorov gave the Flyers late life at 3-2.
They’d win by that score and put the Flyers’ backs firmly against the wall with Game 5 turning into an elimination possibility.
