Islanders at Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers have won back-to-back games to keep their flickering postseason hopes alive while the New York Islanders have dropped consecutive contests to put theirs in peril. The Metropolitan Division rivals look to bolster their respective bids for the NHL's second season at the other's expense Thursday when they wrap up their four-game season series in the City of Brotherly Love.
Philadelphia, which owns a "tragic" number of six with Boston, has won back-to-back games for the first time in four weeks and likely needs a victory in regulation on Thursday to help it overcome a four-team, six-point deficit in its bid to secure the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. "If anything, watching what other teams are doing is more stressful. Teams are going to win, teams are going to lose, but we obviously have to win and that's really all that matters," said Steve Mason, who has yielded just five goals during his three-game winning streak on the heels of Tuesday's 3-2 shootout victory over Ottawa. One of those teams in question is New York, which has mustered just two goals in its last two contests and has dropped six of nine to reside four behind the Bruins. Josh Bailey scored his first goal since Feb. 21 in Monday's 3-1 setback to Nashville, extending his point streak to three games and increasing his career-best point total to 52.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, MSG-Plus (New York), SN1, SNO, CSN Philadelphia, NHL.TV
ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (35-28-12): Veteran defenseman Johnny Boychuk (lower body) has been practicing with the team since Monday and appears poised to end a 12-game absence against Philadelphia, although coach Doug Weight told reporters that's he'll make the call prior to the contest. Weight has also held his tongue on whether journeyman Thomas Greiss or fellow veteran goaltender Jaroslav Halak will be in net Thursday or in Friday's tilt versus New Jersey. Greiss has sputtered to a 5-6-2 mark with a 3.10 goals-against average this month, but owns a 1-0-1 record with a 1.95 GAA versus Philadelphia this season.
ABOUT THE FLYERS (36-32-8): Mason lobbed high praise in the direction of Jordan Weal by saying the 24-year-old's play brings about memories of a former Hart Trophy winner. "(He) kind of reminds me of Marty St. Louis," Mason told Philly.com of Weal, who scored in the third period Tuesday before netting the lone tally in the shootout. "Solid on the puck, fast, it's move-move-move. Good hands. Tenacious on the puck. He's been impressive." Weal has six goals, two assists and a plus-5 rating in his last 14 games.
OVERTIME
1. New York captain John Tavares, who has scored and set up a goal versus Philadelphia this season, has 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in his last 12 games overall.
2. Flyers RW Wayne Simmonds has just two of his team-leading 29 goals in 14 contests this month.
3. The Islanders are just 2-for-21 on the power play in the last eight games, but their penalty kill has thrived to the tune of going 28-for-31 in the last 13 contests.