The Philadelphia Flyers blew a 3-0 lead, but still won in overtime in Game 2 against the New York Islanders. Here are 3 takeaways from a crazy game.
Game 1 of the series between the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers was a blowout, with the former winning 4-0. Early in Game 2, it appeared like that result was going to be reversed, with the Flyers grabbing an early 3-0 lead. But hockey’s a crazy, unpredictable sport, so of course that wasn’t the end of the game
The Islanders proceeded to score the next three goals, with the third coming with a shade over two minutes left in regulation. However, the Flyers were able to kill a huge penalty and get the game to overtime, where Phillipe Myers won it.
In many ways, this game represented everything that is awesome about the Stanley Cup Playoffs. There’s so much drama. No lead is safe (especially not a 3-1 lead!). Two teams gave their all and left everything on the ice. Only one team could celebrate in the end. If that’s not the perfect way to describe playoff hockey, I don’t know what is.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
From every game, there are lessons that can be learned. Things, as fans, we can takeaway from the game. Let’s look at three takeaways from an exciting Game 2.
1. Islanders Can Build On The Comeback
The New York Islanders might not have won Game 2. They lost it in heartbreaking fashion. As someone who has played in blowout losses and nearly comeback wins but losses, the latter is far more painful.
That said, the Islanders have some positives to takeaway from Game 2. Thomas Greiss showed impressive composure after replacing Semyon Varlamov in the first period. It’s nice to see a team rally behind a goaltending change too, because it clearly woke up the Islanders.
The Islanders might not have gotten the desired outcome from Game 2, but they did a lot of good things during it. It was impressive to see them battle back from a 3-0 deficit. The Islanders need to harness that momentum and come out strong in Game 3, which should be a crucial game in the series.
2. Flyers come out strong
The Philadelphia Flyers got embarrassed in Game 1. They got shutout, outworked, and outplayed by the New York Islanders. The Flyers came out very strong in Game 2, sending a message to the Islanders with three goals in the first 15 minutes and 10 seconds. Kevin Hayes was especially impressive, notching the first two goals. Sean Couturier scored one too.
That’s the kind of energy the Flyers have to play with to beat a team as relentless as the Islanders. Unfortunately, the Flyers let the Islanders back into the game. The game probably shouldn’t have gone to overtime. But it did, and the Flyers were able to put behind their struggles from the previous 30 minutes and get a much-needed Game 2 win.
A loss in Game 2 would have been awful. Especially with Game 3 happening tomorrow on Thursday. The Flyers nearly went down 2-0 in the series, but somehow, someway, they managed to turn the tables on the Islanders in overtime.
Right now, the Flyers have a lot of momentum going after an emotional overtime win on Wednesday. They’ve got to carry that over into Thursday because you can be sure the Islanders are going to come out strong, just like the Flyers did.
3. The Flyers Best Players Showed Up
Before Game 2, the Philadelphia Flyers’ best players hadn’t done much in the postseason. But in Game 2, they arrived and boy did they make an impact. Hayes, who had just one goal before Game 2, had the first two goals of the game and was a force to be reckoned with in all three zones. Sean Couturier, who had no goals, scored the third goal and got the primary assist on Myers’s game winner in overtime.