National Hockey League
NY Islanders 6, Philadelphia 1
When: 7:00 PM ET, Saturday, March 20, 2021
Where: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
Referees: Brandon Blandina, Francois St. Laurent
Linesmen: Tyson Baker, Jonny Murray
Attendance: 1400

Casey Cizikas scored twice in a four-goal first period Saturday night and the host New York Islanders cruised to a 6-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at Uniondale, N.Y.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Jordan Eberle also scored in the first while Anthony Beauvillier and Josh Bailey scored in the third for the Islanders, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Rookie Ilya Sorokin made 23 saves as he won his seventh straight start.

Thomas Hickey, appearing in his first NHL game since May 3, 2019, had two assists.

Joel Farabee scored in the first and goalie Carter Hart recorded 22 saves for the Flyers, who endured their second lopsided defeat of the week while losing for the sixth time in nine games. Philadelphia gave up seven second-period goals Wednesday in a 9-0 loss to the New York Rangers.

Pageau pounced on a rebound of a shot by Oliver Wahlstrom to open the scoring at 6:11 before Hickey's wraparound into a traffic-filled crease led to the second goal just 1:50 later. An initial stab by Mathew Barzal was unsuccessful but Eberle got to the loose puck and fired past a crease surrounded by six players.

Cizikas extended the lead to 4-0 by scoring twice in a span of 5:22. First the center stole the puck from Nate Prosser at the Flyers' blue line, raced untouched towards Hart and fired a shot over his glove with 9:57 left. Cizikas then won a puck battle with Erik Gustafsson along the boards to begin a sequence he ended by putting back the rebound of Hickey's shot with 4:35 remaining.

Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech fell trying to corral the puck just beyond center ice to set up the Flyers' lone goal 2:27 later. Scott Laughton got a stick on the puck and dished to Farabee, who raced in and fired a shot under Sorokin's glove.

A pair of Flyers turnovers near their net resulted in the Islanders' two insurance goals in the third. Beauvillier got a stick on a pass by Prosser before the puck bounced to Nelson, who passed back to Beauvillier to set up the left winger's goal with 11:15 left.

Bailey capped the scoring when he picked off a clearing pass by Hart and sent a shot past the sprawling goalie with 4:14 remaining.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Philadelphia   NY Islanders
Joel Farabee 1 Points Casey Cizikas 2
Joel Farabee 1 Goals Casey Cizikas 2
Scott Laughton 1 Assists Thomas Hickey 2
N/A Power Play Goals Jean-Gabriel Pageau 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Carter Hart .786 Save Percentage Ilya Sorokin .958
Carter Hart 22 Saves Ilya Sorokin 23
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Philadelphia 24 1 0-3 1-2 9 17
NY Islanders 28 6 1-2 3-3 11 26
Upcoming Games
  • NY Islanders will play their next game on the road against Philadelphia. The Islanders have a W/L % of .684 after a win and .500 after a loss.
  • Philadelphia will play their next game at home against NY Islanders. The Flyers have a W/L % of .400 after a win and .615 after a loss.