Read, Mason Lead Flyers Over Islanders 5-2
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matt Read scored two goals, Steve Mason made 36 saves, and the streaking Philadelphia Flyers beat the New York Islanders 5-2 on Saturday night.
The Flyers evened their record (10-10-2) for the first time this season with their sixth win in seven games. They are 6-0-1 in that span and 9-3-2 since a 1-7 start.
Claude Giroux, Wayne Simmonds and Brayden Schenn also had goals for Philadelphia.
John Tavares and Eric Boulton scored for the Islanders, who have lost eight of 10, including all three games on their road trip.
After scoring just 22 goals in their first 15 games, the Flyers have 26 in the last seven.
They netted their first three goals against the Islanders in a bunch. Read and Simmonds scored 59 seconds apart to put the Flyers ahead 2-0 early in the second period. Giroux made it three goals in 3:02 for a 3-0 lead.
Read scored his third goal in two games with a slap shot from the slot off passes from Sean Couturier and Steve Downie. The trio, the Flyers' third line, has combined for 12 points in three games.
Simmonds then took a pass from Vincent Lecavalier on a rush up ice and wristed a shot that beat goalie Kevin Poulin to the short side over his glove.
Giroux scored a power-play goal with a one-timer from the left circle off a behind-the-back pass from Simmonds. That goal ended Poulin's night. He was lifted for Anders Nilsson.
After the Islanders got within 3-2, Schenn scored with 7:39 left to give the Flyers a two-goal cushion. Schenn lifted a shot over Nilsson's glove just under the crossbar.
Read scored an empty-net goal in the final minute to seal it.
Despite playing their second game in two nights, the Islanders — following Friday's loss at Pittsburgh — made the Flyers look like a tired team in the third period.
Tavares scored on a backhander off a perfect pass from Thomas Vanek to cut it to 3-1 late in the second. It was just the second even-strength goal allowed by the Flyers in seven games.
Boulton scored his first goal in 73 games to get the Islanders within one goal 2:39 into the third. Boulton was alone in front when the puck trickled through off a faceoff, and he backhanded it past Mason.
Tavares had a chance to tie it a few minutes later but Mason made the save. The Islanders had several chances before Flyers coach Craig Berube called a timeout and calmed his team down.
NOTES: The Islanders, 14-6-4 on the road last season, are now 3-9 away from home this season. ... TheFlyers are 16-1-2 at home vs. the Islanders since the 2007-08 season. ... The Islanders are 0-11-1 when they don't score fewer than three goals. ... Giroux's goal gave Philadelphia power-play goals in six straight games. He has three in the last seven games after starting the season with no goals in the first 15.
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