Jason Chimera scored the go-ahead goal early in the second period and Thomas Greiss made 33 saves to lead the Islanders to a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.
John Tavares and Casey Cizikas also scored for the Islanders, who have won nine of their last 13 games to move closer to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Wayne Simmonds scored for Philadelphia, which lost its third straight. The Flyers avoided getting shut out in three consecutive regular-season games for the first time in the franchise's 50-year history.
The Flyers entered holding the second wild-card position in the East, just one point ahead of Boston. The Islanders sat three points back but with three games in hand on Philadelphia. All total, eight teams were within five points of the Flyers entering Thursday.
Chimera put the Islanders ahead 2:13 into the second period when he beat Steve Mason after getting in alone on the Flyers' goalie. Andrew Ladd set up the goal by lifting a pass over defenseman Radko Gudas' stick and right onto the tape for Chimera, whose backhand went high over Mason's blocker for a 2-1 New York lead.
Cizikas made it a two-goal advantage 1:21 into the third. After Mark Streit's turnover, Cizikas entered the Flyers zone and fanned on a shot attempt before wheeling around and scoring on a wrist shot that went under the pads of a surprised Mason. Philadelphia fans booed Mason loudly after the goal.
Mason, playing in his first game since a 5-1 loss at Carolina on Jan. 31, made 30 saves.
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The Flyers ended their scoreless streak at 134 minutes, 56 seconds, when Simmonds scored on the rebound of Shayne Gostisbehere's shot for a power-play goal with 7:53 remaining in the first period to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead. The goal was confirmed after a video review.
Philadelphia had been 1 for 9 on the power play over the last three games, all of which a healthy Gostisbehere watched from the press box. The second-year defenseman, who finished second in last season's Rookie of the Year voting, was benched due to his defensive deficiencies.
After Streit was whistled for tripping, the Islanders scored their own power-play goal to tie the game at 1 with 3:20 left in the period when Tavares notched his 21st of the season with a wrister from the right circle that beat Mason.
NOTES: Ryan Strome extended his point streak to five games with his first-period assist. He has two goals and five assists during that stretch. . The Flyers lead the four-game season series 2-1. Philadelphia skated to a 3-2 shootout victory on Nov. 3 and a 3-2 overtime win on Jan. 22. The teams will wrap up the season series March 30 in Philadelphia. . Flyers rookie forward Travis Konecny (lower body) sat out the first game of what is expected to be a four-to-six-week absence after getting hurt in Monday's 2-0 loss to St. Louis. . Cal Clutterbuck (lower body) missed his third straight game for the Islanders. Travis Hamonic (knee) has been out since Jan. 8.
UP NEXT
Islanders: At the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon.
Flyers: End a five-game homestand against San Jose on Saturday afternoon.
