Through regulation, neither the Flyers nor the Islanders could score a single goal on Sunday. The two teams weren’t always sharp, but that doesn’t tell the whole story, as Brian Elliott and especially Ilya Sorokin played very well.
Ultimately, the Islanders nabbed the extra point in overtime, beating the Flyers 1-0 on Sunday. The Flyers ended up losing track of Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy, whose attempted setup to Jordan Eberle ended up going off of Travis Sanheim for the overtime-winner.
Before Sunday’s Islanders - Flyers game, the two teams honored Oskar Lindblom as part of their Hockey Fights Cancer initiative. Definitely a nice display:
Courage. Determination. Perspective.
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 18, 2021
Tonight, we celebrate @oskarlindblom's fight. #HockeyFightsCancer | #OskarStrong pic.twitter.com/lZOBhuiCBY
Islanders stay in East Division playoff picture; Too little, too late for Flyers?
Going forward, the Islanders eye an interesting schedule. As far as seeding goes in the upper crust of the East Division, they don’t face the Penguins again. The Islanders do, however, face the Capitals quite often, and perhaps the top spot will boil down to how those games play out.
From Thursday (April 22) through Tuesday (April 27), the Islanders and Capitals are scheduled to play three games.
Otherwise, the Islanders see the Rangers quite often (three times), the Devils twice, the Sabres twice, and then close their season vs. the Bruins. Overall, the Islanders have some “control over their destiny” when it comes to the East Division title (or seeding), but may end up needing some help, too.
(The Islanders also closed off their season series with the Flyers on Sunday.)
East Division standings update: Islanders chase seeding, Flyers’ chances are faint
Capitals: 29-13-4, 62 points in 46 games played
Islanders: 28-13-4, 60 points in 45 GP
Penguins: 28-14-3, 59 points in 45 GP
Bruins: 25-12-6, 56 points in 43 GP
Rangers: 23-16-6, 52 points in 45 GP
Flyers: 20-18-7, 47 points in 45 GP
Really, it’s tough to imagine the Rangers being hot enough to catch the Bruins, especially as Boston gathers steam. So the Flyers’ odds are even longer of making a credible playoff run.
(To be fair, the Flyers could make things interesting if they mop up a schedule heavy on matchups vs. the Devils, though. Ultimately, the most pertinent questions regarding Philly revolve around next season, and beyond.)
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.