Flyers sail past Islanders 6-3
PHILADELPHIA -- Dale Weise and Wayne Simmonds each had a goal, an assist and a fight in the first period, and the Philadelphia Flyers never looked back in a 6-3 dismantling of the New York Islanders on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Sean Couturier added a goal and two assists, the same total as Simmonds. Brayden Schenn picked up two assists, and Jordan Weal, Radko Gudas and Valtteri Filppula added goals for the Flyers (37-32-8), who won for the third straight game to keep their fading playoff hopes alive.
It was also the third consecutive win for goaltender Steve Mason (38 saves), who improved to 25-21-7.
The loss was the third in a row for the Islanders, who have been outscored 11-5 in the three defeats.
Cal Clutterbuck, Jason Chimera and Andrew Ladd netted goals for the Islanders (35-29-12). Goaltender Thomas Greiss allowed three goals on eight shots to take the loss.
Jaroslav Halak surrendered two more goals on 21 shots in relief of Greiss. Filppula's goal was an empty-netter.
Both teams entered the game with their playoff lives at stake, but only the Flyers played like it.
Goals by Weise, Couturier and Gudas in the opening 8:06 chased Greiss.
Just 22 seconds after Gudas' goal, Weise dropped the gloves with fellow Manitoban Travis Hamonic to earn his second career "Gordie Howe hat trick." Hamonic was injured in the fight and did not return for the remainder of the game due to what the Islanders called an upper-body injury.
The Flyers greeted Halak by scoring on their first shot against him, with Weal netting his third goal in three games off a pass by Simmonds to give the Flyers a 4-0 lead. They weren't done yet.
With 4:18 remaining in the first period, a slap shot by Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere bounced off the right knee of Simmonds, then off the left hip of Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk and behind Halak. The goal was the 30th of the season for Simmonds, who waited just 4:11 before dropping his gloves with Anders Lee to pick up his fourth career "Gordie Howe hat trick."
The five goals were the most by the Flyers in a period this season. It was also the most goals allowed by the Islanders in one period.
The Islanders played much better in the second period, outshooting the Flyers 22-3, but had just one goal to show for it, Clutterbuck's fourth goal of the season and first since Dec. 26.
Simmonds added his second assist on Filppula's empty-net goal late in the third period.
NOTES: Islanders D Johnny Boychuk saw his first action after missing 12 games with a lower-body injury. He replaced Thomas Hickey in the lineup. But with Travis Hamonic questionable with an upper-body injury suffered in the first period, Hickey may return to the lineup Friday night against the New Jersey Devils. ... The Flyers have had their share of Gordie Howe hat tricks in their 50-year history, but Thursday marked just the third time two teammates had one in the same period. The two others came Jan. 9, 1972 (Bobby Clarke and Gary Dornhoefer in 10-3 win over the Oakland Seals) and on Jan. 5, 1985 (Rick Tocchet and Lindsay Carson in a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Blues). ... The Flyers conclude their three-game homestand Saturday night when they face the Devils. They close out the regular season with games against the Rangers, Devils. Blue Jackets and Hurricanes. ... Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee watched the game from the press box.