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Briere ties, wins Flyers' OT game vs. Islanders

Nov 24, 2011 - 5:23 AM Uniondale, NY (Sports Network) - Danny Briere tied the game late in regulation and won it at the 2:34 mark of overtime as Philadelphia rallied past the New York Islanders, 4-3, at Nassau Coliseum.

Sergei Bobrovsky made two saves while hugging the left post just prior to the winning score. Braydon Coburn cleared the puck out of harm's way and around the end boards to the left wing.

Scott Hartnell, who had just exited the box after a hooking minor, then carried up the ice and dished to Briere, who shifted between the circles and scored on a high wrister.

"What I'm most impressed with, is the resiliency to come back from that early deficit, the drive to stay with it," said Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette. "We got some really good performances out of key guys in the second and third periods."

Andrej Meszaros and Hartnell also tallied for the Flyers, who snapped a two- game slide.

Bobrovsky picked up the win by halting 23 shots. Ilya Bryzgalov got the start but was pulled after allowing three scores on nine shots in the opening 20 minutes.

Kyle Okposo scored twice and Michael Grabner once in a three-goal first period for the Islanders, losers in eight of 10.

Rick DiPietro surrendered four goals on 33 shots.

Meszaros beat DiPietro with a long slapper from the left point just 18 seconds in, but only 19 seconds later Okposo snapped a 23-game goal drought on a shot from the slot.

Okposo put the Isles up with a power-play score from the right side at 10:26, then it was a 3-1 advantage with 1:31 remaining when Okposo fed Grabner for a wrister through Bryzgalov's pads.

The Flyers got back within a goal at 5:24 of the second when Hartnell followed up Jakub Voracek's miss -- which rolled off the end boards and back out in front -- by roofing the rebound from the left side.

John Tavares' breakaway bid was swallowed up by Bobrovsky's glove with 3 1/2 minutes left in the second in what proved to be the best chance for either side in the middle 20 minutes.

Philly netted the tying score with 5:42 left in regulation. DiPietro misplayed a rebound off the back boards with his glove, and the puck squirted to Briere, who streaked in from the right wing for a successful shot from atop the crease.

"There's definitely something to be said about getting the bounces," DiPietro said. "I don't know what to say. It just wasn't our night. We could have scored on that power play in overtime, and then we lost it after."

Game Notes

Philadelphia continued its dominance of the Islanders, winning for the 25th time in the last 27 meetings...Okposo hadn't lit the lamp since last March 22 at Tampa Bay, and his three-point game was his most points since a three- assist performance last February 13 in a 7-6 overtime win at Buffalo...Flyers forward Jaromir Jagr returned after a three-game absence due to a lower-body injury but left late in the second period and did not return...Coburn returned after missing one game with an upper-body issue.