Flyers at Islanders
An eight-game point streak (5-0-3) has powered the Philadelphia Flyers to the cusp of a return to the playoffs after missing the NHL's second season in 2016-17. The surging Flyers head into the last road game of their season on Tuesday looking to ascend in the Metropolitan Division by defeating the cellar-dwelling New York Islanders.
Captain Claude Giroux capped a two-goal performance by scoring on a breakaway with 1:21 remaining in overtime of Sunday's 4-3 win over Boston, moving Philadelphia within two points of second-place Pittsburgh while residing behind Columbus based on the fourth tiebreaker. "That's one thing we can't do, look up at the standings. We just have to worry about our next game here," said Giroux, who has posted career highs in goals (29) and points (95) - with one and five, respectively, coming in three games versus the Islanders. New York didn't do Philadelphia any favors on Saturday, as it dropped a 4-3 decision to New Jersey for its 16th loss in 19 games (3-12-4). Anthony Beauvillier has scored in three straight contests and five times in his last six to creep within one of the 20-goal plateau.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia Plus, MSG Plus 2 (New York)
ABOUT THE FLYERS (40-25-14): Travis Konecny is a confident kid, likely bolstered by scoring six times in his eight games as well as Philadelphia's 16-6-6 mark in its last 28 contests. "I think we're confident as a team that we'll be able to play anybody. I don't really think we look at matchups," the 21-year-old Konecny told Philly.com after he scored his 24th goal in highlight-reel fashion on Sunday - the most by a Flyers player 21-or-younger since Simon Gagne netted 33 at age 21 in 2001-02. Konecny also tallied in Philadelphia's 6-4 win over New York on Jan. 4.
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (32-37-10): Rookie Mathew Barzal reached the 20-goal total on March 20 and has set up four tallies in his last six games to boost his season total to a team-leading 59 assists. Barzal has scored two goals and set up two others versus Philadelphia this season and captain John Tavares also has four points (one goal, three assists) in the season series to raise his club-best total this season to 81. New York's 31st-ranked penalty kill has permitted seven power-play goals in the last six games overall and three versus Philadelphia in the last encounter.
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia D Ivan Provorov, who scored two goals and set up another in the last meeting versus New York, has recorded back-to-back multi-point performances during his three-game point streak.
2. The Islanders have posted a 9-18-2 mark in their last 29 games at Barclays Center after notching an 8-0-2 record at home to open the season.
3. Flyers RW Jakub Voracek has one goal and four assists versus New York this season.