The Islanders had the momentum, they had the home crowd, they had the game on their sticks entering the third period of this Black Friday matinee.
Twenty minutes later, they exited the building having taken advantage of none of the above, fumbling the momentum from a three-goal comeback in the second period to lose 4-3 on Travis Konecny’s shootout winner for the Flyers, giving the Islanders their third defeat in four on this homestand.
To make matters worse, they also suffered the loss of Kyle Palmieri, who struggled to get off after falling awkwardly in the corner while trying to beat Jamie Drysdale to a puck in the second period.
Travis Konecny scores a goal for the Flyers in the shootout Nov. 28. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Had the Islanders found a way to win, you could at least say that Palmieri’s last act of the day — stealing the puck from Emil Andrae to create a goal for Emil Heineman while limping off the ice — had helped inspire the comeback.
Instead, three consecutive goals in the second period proved not to be enough, as a three-all tie entering the third gave way to a lamentable finish for the Islanders.
Matvei Michkov’s high stick on Cal Ritchie — after Samuel Ersson stoned Ritchie off Anthony Duclair’s feed on the rush with 7:40 to go in regulation — gave the Islanders a four-minute power play.
Despite having broken their scoreless streak at five-on-four earlier in the game, the Islanders couldn’t convert this one, and would quickly regret it.
The Islanders picked up a hard-earned point by getting the game as far as overtime, but failed to get the second.
Instead, Sam Ersson’s heroics in the extra period gave the Flyers breathing room, and the Swede outdueled David Rittich in the shootout for good measure.
The Islanders had started to press their advantage after Heineman’s goal, which cut a 3-0 deficit to 3-1.
Less than three minutes later, Matthew Schaefer ripped in his eighth goal of the season to make it 3-2 during a delayed penalty.
Schaefer became the first teenage defenseman in history to record eight goals in his first 25 games, breaking Bobby Orr’s previous high of seven.
The Islanders react after falling to the Flyers on Nov. 28. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
He also wasn’t done yet.
His shot from the top of the zone on the power play was deflected by Max Shabanov and then Anders Lee before lodging in the back of the net to tie the game at three at 19:13 of the second.
That was the Islanders’ first power play goal in over two weeks and in 29 attempts.
On the ice from Long Island
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Their first two cracks at five-on-four had gone terribly in this one, punctuating a first period of mistake-laden hockey with little energy.
Consecutive turnovers by Heineman and Tony DeAngelo had led to goals from Tyson Foerster and Sean Couturier just 22 seconds apart to open a 2-0 lead for Philadelphia.
Trevor Zegras’ power-play goal 1:55 into the second, which banked off Ryan Pulock’s skate and in, made it 3-0.
The Islanders were all the way on the brink, came all the way back, then lost anyway.
This one hurts, and it ought to hurt.