N.Y. Islanders: Flyers Best Effort Still Not Good Enough

From the desk of: NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

2019    PLAYOFFS    2020

Isles lead Flyers; 3-1

I - NYI 4; PHI 0

II - PHI 4; NYI 3*

III - NYI 3; PHI 1

IV - NYI 3; PHI 2

*overtime

Look What the Isles did to the Flyers ... Again! 

What you saw in game four was Philadelphia's best effort.  I promise you.  Alain Vigneault is a good regular season coach but when it comes to the playoffs his system short circuits.

Where's his Cup-O-Fame?  That's me the Rangers fan speaking ... otherwise you Isles fans know I'm an objective observer.

Philadelphia out-shoots (38-33) the Islanders and they out-hit (39-35) the Islanders and it still gets them nowhere.  In fact, game four had all the makings of a bad night: Thomas Greiss making his first start of the postseason and the Isles allowing the most shots on goal since entering the bubble.  But all Long Island nomads know scoring and playing physical hockey have never been problems for the Islanders.

Thomas Greiss indeed makes his first start of these playoffs.  Although Greiss appears in relief of Semyon Varlamov during game two - which the Islanders lose 4-3 in overtime - this marks Thomas' first start since way back on March 7th against Carolina.  Playing in front of Greiss, the Islanders yield a playoff high 38 shots on goal.  A fresh Thomas Greiss steels the show stopping all but two.  A great spot start by him.

But when people say "Flyers turnovers" I say Islanders defense.

After a scoreless first period, Brock Nelson and Philly's Sean Couturier trade second period even-strength goals.  Long Island then takes the wind from beneath the Flyers wings with two goals in the third just four minutes apart by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Brock Nelson's second of the game.  Yeah, the Islanders allowed a goal in the last two minutes, but in this instance it's okay.

The Islanders now own a commanding 3-1 series lead over Alain Vigneault's floundering Philadelphia Flyers.