Flyers blow 3-goal lead before topping Islanders in shootout
Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny scored in the shootout as the Philadelphia Flyers recovered from blowing a three-goal lead to post a 4-3 victory over the host New York Islanders on Friday in Elmont, N.Y.
With the win, Philadelphia remained perfect at 5-0 in shootouts this season. Tyson Foerster, Sean Couturier and Zegras scored in regulation for the Flyers, with Ersson making 28 saves before his shootout heroics.
Emil Heineman, Matthew Schaefer and Anders Lee scored in regulation for New York, while David Rittich made 18 saves. Simon Holmstrom tallied the lone shootout goal for the Islanders.
Zegras opened the shootout with a nifty backhander under the crossbar before Mathew Barzal rang one off the post on the other end. Matvei Michkov attempted a similar move to Zegras, but Rittich gloved it. Holmstrom then tied it with a deke to the backhand, beating Ersson.
Konecny snapped a wrister under Rittich's arm to give the Flyers the advantage, and Ersson sealed it with a pad stop on Bo Horvat.
The Flyers scored 22 seconds apart in the first period on unassisted goals by Foerster and Couturier, both off defensive-zone turnovers by the Islanders. Philadelphia then made it 3-0 early in the second period when Emil Andrae's pass caromed off Zegras and into the net.
However, New York bounced back with two goals in the next six and a half minutes.
First, Heineman buried his 10th of the season off a drop pass from Jonathan Drouin. Kyle Palmieri made the key play with a steal from Andrae to give the Islanders possession of the puck.
Shortly thereafter, Schaefer got a good look at a wrist shot from the left circle and beat Ersson for his eighth of the season. The Islanders tied it in the final minute of the second period, as Lee redirected Schaefer's shot for a power-play goal.
Towards the end of the third period, a high-sticking penalty on Michkov gave New York a four-minute power play, but Ersson and the Flyers held firm.
The Islanders controlled the bulk of the play in overtime before the Flyers captured their eighth straight shootout, dating back to last season.
Cricket Australia Furious At Star Batter After 'Piece Of S**t' Remark On Ashes Pitch, Demand Explanation
Australia batter Usman Khawaja had used a derogatory term to criticise the pitch at Perth for the first Ashes Test against England.
Veteran opener Usman Khawaja is set to give an explanation to Cricket Australia (CA) officials after his "a piece of s**t" remark on the Perth Stadium pitch during the first Ashes Test against England. As per SEN Cricket, CA officials were not satisfied with the Australian opener's comments, given that the match referee, Ranjan Madugalle, had rated the Perth Pitch as a "very good" surface on Thursday. At the Usman Khawaja Foundation event, the veteran cricketer criticised the Perth pitch for the number of wickets falling and for batters such as Steve Smith being hit by extra bounce.
At that event, Khawaja noted that it is not the first time that the Perth track had produced similar results on the opening day of a Test game.
"Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit, that's a great wicket, that seems real fair," he said as quoted by SEN Cricket.
"Steve Smith's by far the best cricketer I've ever played with, and he's missing the middle of his bat by a long way - he does not miss the middle of his bat. He's getting hit in the elbow," Khwaja added.
"Up and down (movement) is the hardest, sideways is a little bit easier, but up and down, your hands can't catch up. So, day one wicket at (Perth) is a piece of s**t, I'm happy to say that. It has been last year; it was this year," the Australian opener said.
Australia won the first Test by eight wickets and took a 1-0 lead in the five-match Ashes Test series. Chasing down a tricky target of 205 runs, Australia opener Travis Head played a match-winning knock of 123 runs, guiding his side to a convincing win.
The second Test between Australia and England will be held at The Gabba in Brisbane, starting December 4. The Brisbane game will be a pink-ball Test.
