• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Bryzgalov sets franchise record, Flyers hold on to down Isles

Mar 16, 2012 - 3:11 AM Uniondale, NY (Sports Network) - Ilya Bryzgalov set a new franchise record for longest scoreless string and ended up making 29 stops, but the Philadelphia Flyers had to hold on late to record a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.

Bryzgalov's run reached an incredible 249 minutes, 43 seconds -- eclipsing John Vanbiesbrouck's previous best of 227:40 from October 17-26, 1999 -- until Michael Grabner's goal with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

"We set the new record," Bryzgalov said, careful again to spread the accomplishment among his teammates. "I just (want) to say congratulations to the organization and the players who played these games."

John Tavares tallied 35 seconds after Grabner, but the Islanders couldn't get any closer, dropping their fifth straight and eighth in 10. Evgeni Nabokov allowed three goals on 22 shots in defeat.

Zac Rinaldo, Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell lit the lamp early on for the Flyers, who have won seven of their last eight.

Grabner's left-wing blast early in the third caused Bryzgalov to calmly flash his glove to make the stop, but the Austrian winger redirected a Dylan Reese drive home from the left side to get the hosts on the scoreboard.

Tavares then trimmed the margin to 3-2 with a shot from the slot off a Mark Streit dish and suddenly the visitors had to scramble to keep composure.

Nabokov was pulled for an extra skater with 1:21 remaining, but didn't have a quality scoring chance thereafter.

"We saw how when we forecheck how successful we can be," Islanders captain Streit said. "But playing 10 minutes out of 60 minutes is just not enough against a team like Philadelphia."

Rinaldo managed to sneak one by Nabokov from the left wing near the boards and goal line at 8:41 of the first period.

It was 2-0 for the visitors at 13:26 when Jaromir Jagr fought off a checker behind the net and fed into the right circle for Giroux's successful wrister.

Bryzgalov stared down Grabner from in front less than a minute into the second for his toughest save of the contest to that point.

Hartnell made it a three-goal bulge at 7:02 of the second period, breaking free down the right wing and ripping a wrister over Nabokov's glove on the short side.

Bryzgalov officially made Flyers history at the 11:28 mark of the second.

Game Notes

Bryzgalov also bested his personal streak of 249:15, first set with Anaheim during the 2006 playoffs...Rinaldo's only other NHL score came back on November 3 at home against New Jersey...Giroux set a new career high for goals in one season with his 26th...Kimmo Timonen recorded his 200th point as a Flyer with the primary assist on Hartnell's goal...Philadelphia won four of six in the season series, including all three on Long Island...With his late goal, Tavares became the first Islander to score at least 70 points in one season since Alexei Yashin (75) in 2001-02.