Goals come in Pairs: 6 - 2 Flyers over Isles

**note: 10:30 pm, Tim Jackman will not continue on to Toronto but will head home to be checked out tomorrow. Oddly, so will Sean Bergenheim who needs to have a rib injury looked at tomorrow as well. Um... Does Robbie play??

The Isles should have known it was going to be a bad day in Philly as soon as Brendan Witt was hit by a car getting a Latte. I mean, I said it would be a good game and it was… if you’re a Flyers fan. The Flyers did exactly what Scott Gordon told me they would. They had the jump the Islanders didn’t. They also had a nastiness that the Islanders couldn’t match. There were numerous penalties on both teams, and numerous ones not called. I suppose the refs were just getting tired of raising their arms.

John Tavares did manage to add two goals to his point total to keep him at the forefront of the NHL rookies. Kyle added an assist point, but still can’t find the back of the net. But other than JT, it was all Flyers. Could it be said it was Biron’s fault? I’m not sure as the defense was lacking and the plays that were being made were constantly cut off by Flyers in the right place at the right time. Or should we say, just better positioning than the
Isles. Could it also be more talent? Or just bad luck?

The Flyers goals came in pairs. Richards, Hartnell, Giroux. The Islanders haven’t won in the Flyers arena since Alexi Yashin was in an Isles sweater and working for his paycheck. The Flyers had three power play goals and one short handed. So the Isles once very effective penalty kill wasn’t exactly effective against Mike Richards. The Islanders gave up their first short handed goal of the season as Briere sits in the box for an elbow on Jon Sim.

The Islanders also lost the closest thing they have to an actual enforcer when Tim Jackman left the game early in the first. Katie Strang reports he left the game “with a hip pointer.” I’m not sure what that is. But this doesn’t bode well. Is Andy Sutton healthy yet?
In the second, Chris Pronger, who I’m not too sure if I like right now, slammed Tavares’ face into the glass which popped out one of JT’s teeth. Pronger got two for boarding and the Isles trainer got a souvenir.

In the third, Hartnell crashed the net on Biron and JT took offense and started to whack at him. Two things wrong with that. First, he knocked him into Biron, second, Hartnell tried to clock him. Moulson immediately stepped in and a melee ensued. Pronger then came in swinging. I can understand wanting to stand up for your goaltender, but if you’re going to crosscheck the player in front of him, make sure your goalie isn’t in the way. Both Hartnell and Moulson end up in the box.

JT took a slashing penalty with only 6:37 left of the third when the score was 2 – 6. Perhaps the pain is starting to kick in from the hit that dislodged a few teeth. I’m not even sure if it would have mattered if they converted on the power play at that point.

Well, nice of the Islanders to give Laviolette his first win as the Flyers Coach. I guess it was better than giving him an ulcer. I think that’s what the isles are giving Scott Gordon who was caught on camera uncharacteristically with his head in his hands at one point.

The Islanders travel to Toronto tonight to face the Leafs who have ALSO started to win games. There is a snowstorm of biblical proportions expected. (Or so I heard all day on the Canadian radio station I listen to at work) Could it be another bad omen for the Islanders?