Scott Laughton Scores Game-Winner In Overtime To Give Flyers Win Over Islanders
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Scott Laughton scored in overtime and Jake Voracek and Kevin Hayes also had goals to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday night. Jordan Eberle and Scott Mayfield scored for the Islanders.
The Flyers and Islanders played for the first time since New York won Game 7 of their second-round playoff series last season. The Islanders dominated this one in regulation and outshot the Flyers 27-14.
But defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere forced a turnover in OT and Laughton converted at 3:16.
Back from a four-game road trip, the Flyers scored twice in the first period. Claude Giroux hit Voracek as he cut to the net and he beat Semyon Varlamov for a 1-0 lead. James van Riemsdyk connected with Hayes, who punched it high glove side for his fourth goal of the season. That gave the Flyers their first two-goal lead in the first period since the second game of the season.
"I came here to Philly to win a Stanley Cup," Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said before the game. "To win a Stanley Cup, there's a certain way you have to play. There's a certain way you need to play, certain decisions you need to make, with or without the puck. That's what I'm here to do and that's what I'm going to get out of this group."
Eberle scored from the right circle in the second to make it 2-1, and Mayfield hit a slap shot to even the score.
The Islanders tried to pull themselves together after three regulation losses over five days left them reeling. In a five-day span, New York got shut out by a third-string goalie, allowed a go-ahead goal in the final minute and blew a three-goal lead.
After going to the Eastern Conference final in the NHL's playoff bubble last summer, the Islanders won three of their first four this season, but have not dropped four straight.
TK SCRATCHED
Travis Konecny, who had a hat trick in the second game of the season, was a healthy scratch for Philadelphia. He has five goals and eight points this season. The 23-year-old Konecny was coming off a dreadful postseason in which he failed to score in 16 games.
"I believe that T.K. is one of our top three forwards, tremendous potential, is doing some things right like going to the net, stopping and scoring a couple of big goals for us," Vigneault said. "But I also believe that right now our 5-on-5 play is not where it needs to be. I've been talking to the players about it for some time, areas that I believe that we need to be better at, areas that we have been good at in the past. TK is the one tonight that is not going to play. His 5-on-5 game needs to be better in the areas that he's aware of."
MOVIN' ON UP
Philadelphia's Samuel Morin played for the first time since he was shifted from defense to forward.
UP NEXT
The Flyers and Islanders are back at it Sunday night in Philadelphia.
(©Copyright 2021 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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