Flyers defeat Islanders with stunning last-second goal
PHILADELPHIA -- Talk about "blink and you'll miss it."
The Flyers had just finished coughing up a 4-1 third period lead on a goal by Islanders center Anders Lee with 20 seconds left in regulation.
Lee had also scored earlier in the period to make it 4-2, and New York defenseman Johnny Boychuk added his ninth goal of the season at the 18:16 mark to tighten things up at 4-3. After Lee' s game-tying tally, it appeared the Islanders were headed for overtime when Flyers center Brayden Schenn managed to fire a shot through the legs of stunned Islander goaltender Jaroslav Halak with just three seconds left, sending the just-quieted Philadelphia crowd into a loud frenzy and a Flyers 5-4 victory.
"You're not thinking that one's going in from the position I was in on the ice," Schenn readily admitted after the game. "I guess that's just what happens when you put pucks on net. Sometimes you get a lucky one. I'll take those any day."
Flyers captain Claude Giroux, who notched his 24th and 25th goals of the season, concurred.
"You don't see that too often. We'll take it for sure," said Giroux, adding, "I didn't even see the shot. I wasn't even looking. I was thinking we were going into overtime. It was pretty exciting."
Philadelphia goaltender Steve Mason, who made 36 saves, was just as surprised as everyone else at Schenn's goal.
"I thought it was going to overtime, but Schenn's goal is why you play until the last second," Mason said. "We had a two-goal lead with a little over a minute to go. They unfortunately made two plays in our zone on the face offs and were able to capitalize. We got a lucky break there with Schooner putting it on net. Anything can happen."
The Islanders entered the game having struggled to a 5-6-4 record in their last 15 games but needing just one win to clinch their second playoff spot in the last three years. New York head coach Jack Capuano refused to let the shocking loss, nor his team's recent tepid play, sway his belief in the team.
"It's a frustrating loss, right? But at this time of year, you've got to have a short memory, and you've got to get ready for the next one," Capuano said matter-of-factly, adding, "I thought we battled hard as a team tonight."
The Islanders could have clinched a playoff spot with a win or an Ottawa loss, but the Senators rallied to defeat the Pittsburgh in overtime, so for now New York's playoff spot will have to wait at least one more game.
Boychuk was frustrated to a degree but agreed with Capuano.
"We just have to go out and try and win every game right now, and put it into the playoffs," said Boychuk. "We have to play our best, that's what we need to do to win."
The Islanders remain one point behind Washington for second place in the Metropolitan division, but two points ahead of Pittsburgh for the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders are also three points ahead of Boston and Ottawa for the second Wild Card position.
Flyers defenseman Mark Streit and Voracek assisted on both of Giroux's goals. The two assists gave Voracek 81 points, keeping him in the thick of the NHL scoring race. Streit added a third assist on Schenn's game-winner, tying his career high for assists in a game.
Islanders superstar center John Tavares scored his 36th goal of the season and assisted on New York's third and fourth goals to raise his point total to 83, tied with Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby for the league lead.
Halak made 22 saves in the loss.
The Flyers continue their season-ending homestand Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes, while the Islanders head to Pittsburgh for a Friday night matchup against the Penguins.
NOTES: The Flyers will miss the postseason for the second time in the past three seasons. ... The game marked the fourth and final matchup between the Islanders and Flyers. New York won the first three, two in shootouts, one in regulation. The Islanders have never swept a season series from Philadelphia. ... New York C Mikhail Grabovski (upper body) is on injured reserve, but he traveled with the team and took part in practice Monday. Also out for the Islanders: RW Cal Clutterbuck, D Calvin de Haan, D Matt Donovan, LW Matt Martin and C Frans Nielsen. ... Philadelphia was missing D Andrew MacDonald (hand), D Luke Schenn (abdomen), RW Wayne Simmonds (leg fracture) and LW R.J. Umberger (abdominal, hip surgery). ... The game featured two of the league leaders in the scoring race, Islanders C John Tavares (83) and Flyers RW Jakub Voracek (81).