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Islanders-Flyers Preview

Dec 8, 2015 - 2:44 AM Both the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers will hit the Wells Fargo Center ice Tuesday night looking to bounce back after having four-game winning streaks snapped.

One team saw significantly more silver linings in its defeat.

The Islanders managed to earn a point in a seventh straight game despite blowing a third-period lead, while the Flyers didn't take any sort of consolation after a loss in which they were never competitive.

New York (15-8-5) seemed to be cruising to a fifth straight win up 2-0 midway through the third period Saturday at Ottawa, but it allowed the tying goal with 37 seconds left and fell 3-2 in overtime. It was the third time the Islanders have lost when leading after two, a number only Vancouver (six) has topped.

"The frustrating part is that we gave up that two-goal lead, and that's something we have to address," defenseman Travis Hamonic said. "As of late we've been good in these games so it's not like it's a huge issue for us, but you don't want that to creep into your game. We have to do a better job of bearing down."

Coach Jack Capuano didn't seem too disappointed as New York earned a fifth point during its three-games-in-four-nights stretch - particularly considering all three went past regulation.

"We've just got to be more consistent in certain areas, but I like the way we've been playing lately," he said.

Capuano certainly enjoyed the way the Islanders played a 3-1 victory against the Flyers (11-11-5) on Nov. 25 in which they outshot Philadelphia 36-18. That was the first game of the point streak (5-0-2), which can now get to eight for the first time since an 8-0-3 stretch in April 2013.

The last meeting got physical, with Nick Leddy and Claude Giroux squaring off before Matt Martin and Wayne Simmonds went at it later in the second period.

"Those games are fun," Islanders center Casey Cizikas said. "When they get testy like that, when they get physical like that, that's what makes the game of hockey so much fun. I think we thrived off of that."

That was the Flyers' last loss before Saturday, when the positive feelings from a post-Thanksgiving home win and a three-game road sweep were sullied with a 4-1 loss to visiting Columbus. The Blue Jackets scored twice while outshooting Philadelphia 13-4 in the first period.

"We didn't compete 100 percent of the time," said Wayne Simmonds, who three-game goal streak ended. "I'm not saying all the time because there were shifts where we did, but it wasn't 100 percent of the time and that's why we've been playing good hockey."

Much like it was Saturday, the Flyers' biggest issue may be the opening 20 minutes. Philadelphia has been outscored 25-12 in the first period this season.

"I believe we will come back to work," coach Dave Hakstol said. "We've got to go and prove that as we move forward. ... Everybody's got to do better from every guy on the roster through."

The Flyers have lost five straight to the Islanders in which Simmonds has played, and their second-leading scorer has gone without a point in the past four. New York's John Tavares has eight goals and six assists in his last 12 against Philadelphia.

Tavares may find more room to skate with Flyers defenseman Luke Schenn out for two weeks with a lower-body injury, and the man replacing him will be familiar to Capuano's club. It's former Islander Andrew MacDonald, who has spent all of 2015-16 in the AHL just one season after signing a six-year, $30 million contract.

Fellow defenseman Radko Gudas is also out as he completes his three-game suspension for a headshot last week against Ottawa.