ELMONT, N.Y. — Having a league-leading 10 come-from-behind wins this season might have the Flyers feeling good about themselves, but that stat can be a two-edged sword.]
Sometimes it can work the opposite way, like when a three-goal lead slips away in a matter of minutes, like it did Friday afternoon at UBS Arena.
Philadelphia raced to a 3-0 lead, then saw the New York Islanders claw their way back to a 3-3 tie by the 40-minute mark.
Ultimately, the Flyers won the game in a shootout, 4-3, with Travis Konecny getting the winning goal.
Flyers goalie Sam Ersson wound up with the win while Isles goalie David Rittich took the loss.
Coach Rick Tocchet agreed with the premise that holding the score at 3-3 through the final 20 minutes of regulation and overtime can show almost as much resilience as a come-from-behind win.
“Yeah, we were up three-nothing, obviously the second (period) we had some penalties,” Tocchet said after the game. “Couple of misfortunate plays. But hung in there. A little bit ugly but give the guys credit for scratching and clawing. A big two points for us.”
Trevor Zegras also scored in the shootout, where the Flyers outscored New York, 2-1.
There was plenty of celebrating after this one ended.
“We have to learn how to play under pressure,” Tocchet said of the blown lead. “I think we’re getting better at it. We have to keep preaching it, staying accountable on it. And be positive about it, too.
“When you’re winning games and correcting stuff, you know that’s good. We’re chasing that 60-minute game. We’re hanging in there. That was a hell of a PK (four-minute minor to Matvei Michkov in the closing minutes). That could have been the game. To me, that shows a lot of character. You have to be proud of the team for that PK.”
Sean Couturier said the big kill at the end was a key to getting at least one point and eventually two.
“It was huge,” the captain said. “Especially the way the game kind of went. We were all over them early, then we kind of lost our cool for a bit. But we regrouped in the third, stuck together and found a way to get that extra point.”
Travis Sanheim liked the way his team hung in there when it looked like things were falling apart.
“Got off to a good start getting the lead and then, unfortunately, a couple plays that allowed them to get some momentum and get back in it,” he said. “Just a resilient effort to stay with it and not fall apart.”
As quickly and precisely as the Flyers played in taking a 2-0 lead in the first period, things went the opposite way just as fast in an error-filled second period.
Things started off in a positive way when Trevor Zegras scored a power-play goal at 1:55.
Then the Islanders threw it into high gear, scoring three unanswered goals in less than 15 minutes.
Emil Heineman got the parade started, courtesy of a quirky play involving the Islanders’ Kyle Palmieri. The forward was banged up down by the Flyer net and skated slowly to the bench as play moved up ice. Suddenly the puck wound up back on his stick. He dished to Jonathan Drouin, who relayed to Heineman for a successful shot at 5:42.
The Flyers’ problems continued at 8:11. This time the Flyers found out what all the fuss involving 18-year-old defense wonder Matthew Schaefer has been all about. Schaefer found the range from the top of the left circle at 8:11 to make it 3-2 Philadelphia.
Then, after Konecny took a holding penalty behind the New York while the Flyers were on a power play, the Islanders struck again moments later on their own power play. Anders Lee finished off a play in front with 47 seconds left on the clock for the tie.
Tyson Foerster picked up right where he left off in Florida on Wednesday night when he scored the winning goal with less than a minute to play in a 4-2 win over the Panthers.
Foerster took advantage of an Islander miscue when Heineman fell down, leaving No. 71 open for a point-blank shot past Rittich at 8:30.
That gives Foerster his team-leading ninth goal. A total of eight Flyers have at least five goals.
Just 29 seconds later, Islander defenseman Tony DeAngelo attempted a blind clearing pass across the top of the slot. The puck landed right on Couturier’s stick and he made no mistake with a quick shot past Rittich. Couturier connected for the second straight game after a 17-game drought.
>Short shots
It’s back to game action on Saturday night when the Flyers visit the New Jersey Devils, who might be still than a little annoyed after getting beaten by a 6-3 score by the Flyers last Saturday. The Flyers scored a team-record three goals in 26 seconds in that game.
Michkov’s 32nd career goal, which came against Florida the other night, has tied the late Peter Zezel for the fourth-most goals scored by a Flyer before his 21st birthday. Eric Lindros tops the list with 76. . .Owen Tippett’s eight points since Nov. 14 are the most by any Flyer.
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