NEW YORK — For the last week John Elway Jersey , the New York Islanders received reminders of what could have been. But at least they won’t have to worry about watching another team celebrate clinching a playoff berth Tuesday night when they host the Philadelphia Flyers in the penultimate home game of the season at Barclays Center.
The Islanders continued their late-season collapse Saturday, falling to the New Jersey Devils 4-3. The Flyers moved closer to securing a playoff berth Sunday when they posted their second straight win by beating the Boston Bruins 4-3 in overtime.
The Flyers (40-25-14) could technically clinch no worse than an Eastern Conference wild-card berth Tuesday, though it would take a win over the Islanders and a loss by the Florida Panthers, whose game against the Nashville Predators starts half an hour after the Flyers face off against the Islanders.
The Panthers kept their faint playoff hopes alive Monday by beating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 to move within six points of the Flyers. Florida has four games left and Philadelphia has three games remaining.
“First goal on the list is to become a playoff team,” Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. “We’re not there yet, we haven’t completed that yet. We’re just working toward the next two points.”
Points have been in increasingly short supply the last several weeks for the Islanders (32-37-10), who have lost eight of 10 (2-8-0) and 16 of their last 19 (3-12-4) to fall into last place in the Metropolitan Division.
New York lost twice on consecutive nights Friday and Saturday to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are headed for the playoffs as one of the top three seeds in the Atlantic Division Zack Martin Jersey , and the Devils, who are in the driver’s seat for the second wild card.
“It just stinks knowing we’re not playing past this weekend,” Islanders center and captain John Tavares told Newsday after practice Monday afternoon. “We’re just trying to focus on the positives as much as you can and it’s the last week, so we want to go and play hard and play with a lot of pride and get some good results.”
Flyers goalie Petr Mrazek is expected to start against the Islanders’ Jaroslav Halak in a battle of teams with uncertain short- and long-term goaltending situations.
Mrazek has served as the closest thing the Flyers have had to a No. 1 goalie in the 25 games since Brian Elliott suffered a core muscle injury on Feb. 10.
Mrazek improved to 6-5-3 in that span with 36 saves Sunday. Elliott practiced Monday and is expected to play before the regular season ends this weekend so Philadelphia can get an idea if he can start in the playoffs.
Halak sat out the last two games, including Saturday, when he was scratched because of illness. He last started March 27 when he made 33 saves in the Islanders’ 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators.
While Halak has been the goalie of record in 32 of the Islanders’ 44 games since the Christmas break, he is a free agent at the end of the season and unlikely to return to New York, which is on pace to lead the NHL in goals allowed and has just one goalie Dorance Armstrong Jr. Jersey , Thomas Greiss, under contract for next season.
Coach Vance Joseph said he doesn’t expect defensive end Derek Wolfe to miss any time after sustaining a neck stinger at practice Tuesday.
”He should not. He came back to practice. So, he should be ready to go tomorrow,” Joseph said.
Wolfe had surgery this offseason after dealing with neck problems off and on since 2013 , when he got hurt in a preseason game at Seattle.
Joseph described the latest scare as ”a little small stinger,” adding, ”he’s fine. He came back out. He’s OK.”
Left guard Ron Leary tried to calm Wolfe as he retreated to the sideline to get checked out.
”Wolfe’s just a real passionate guy, so he always wants to be out there and anytime he gets a nick and can’t perform Eddie Yarbrough Jersey , he’s heated,” Leary said. ”And Wolfe don’t listen to too many people. But I’ve known him for a while and he knows it’s all love when it comes from me. So, it was a good little convo.”
Wolfe has dealt with neck issues ever since being whisked from the field in an ambulance after a hit to his head and neck in a preseason game in Seattle five years ago. Later in the 2013 season he suffered seizure-like symptoms on his way to a game and missed the team’s Super Bowl run.
Wolfe also missed two games in 2016 because of a sore neck and last year he went on IR after injuring his neck in a game against Oakland on Nov. 26.
Just last weekend Wolfe spoke about how nice it was to play without neck pain and muscle weakness following his offseason surgery, which allowed him to hit the weights with extra fervor.
”You get to focus on your technique more because you’re not worried about protecting yourself. You open your game to a lot more, especially pass-rush wise,” Wolfe said Saturday. ”You don’t have to worry about if that center comes and hits you in that right side, `Oh, I’m going to lose that feeling in my right arm so I have to protect it.’ When you can really work your pass-rushing moves all the way through Bryce Callahan Jersey , it changes your game.”
Notes: ILB Brandon Marshall (sore wrist) will return to contact drills Wednesday. … LT Garett Bolles returned to practice one day after being carted off and examined for a head injury. … CB Bradley Roby, who’s stepping into a fulltime starter’s role following the trade of Aqib Talib, got some friendly advice from Joseph heading into camp: ”I told Bradley, `I don’t want to judge you on how many plays you make; you’re judged on how many plays you give up.’ That’s what I want from our corners. And if you’re in a good position, you’ll make enough plays. But don’t cheat in order to make plays because that’s not what winning’s about. That’s about you.’ So, he’s doing a good job playing within the scheme and playing with good technique and just doing his job.”
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