Fragile Flyers turn in another clunker in loss to Islanders

Twenty-nine games in and the Flyers have to accept their identity. They are a flawed team that gives up goals in bunches, and is more fragile than a cardboard box of crystal vases.

Turnovers, lack of defensive attention, and a soft goal fueled a four-goal explosion in the first period Saturday that led to their second disastrous loss in New York in four nights. This time, the Islanders beat them, 6-1.

“It has to stop,” said Travis Konecny of his club’s nasty habit of giving up quick goals. “It has to be fixed now because it just can’t continue. It’s hard to play that way.”

The night started with Sean Couturier being ruled out just before opening face-off with a lower-body injury and proceeded with the defense making Islanders fourth-line center Casey Cizikas look like Connor McDavid. It took a fight by Oskar Lindblom to wake the Flyers up.

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Lindblom had never been in a fight in his four-year career (159 games).

“I think everyone knows what they have to do, and we’ve just got to execute.”

Cizikas, who had one goal in his last 19 games, had two in the first period. One came off a turnover at the blue line by Nate Prosser, the other when Erik Gustafsson failed to stay with him after a battle on the boards. The first should have been stopped by Carter Hart, who was beaten glove side from the left wing. He had no chance on New York’s other goals.

The Islanders scored four times in 9:14 when Lindblom had seen enough and challenged Oliver Wahlstrom to a fight. Wahstrom, a rookie who had some bouts in the AHL, won it in a decision on The Inquirer’s scorecard.

Lindblom may have lost the fight, but he stopped the Islanders’ momentum. Joel Farabee capped the first-period scoring with a seeing-eye goal off a two-on-one rush started by Scott Laughton.

“Everyone knows he’s a team guy. He’s a great teammate and he knows when to do the right things at the right time,” said Konecny, a linemate of Lindblom’s. “That was definitely the right time to give us a spark. It’s just too bad we didn’t respond the way we should have after Osky stepped up.”

Saturday night’s loss wasn’t nearly as bad as the 9-0 disaster in Manhattan on Wednesday when the Rangers scored seven goals in the second period.

Two more giveaways led to the Islanders’ final two goals. One from Prosser (minus-3), the other from Hart. When Josh Bailey knocked down a Hart clearing pass and deposited it for the Islanders’ sixth goal, he hardly celebrated. Like when a big brother dunks over his little brother in backyard hoops.

“I think it’s just sloppy plays right now,” said Gustafsson (minus-2). “We’ve got to be better [on defense]. That means me, too. I’ve got to make plays tape-to-tape.”

It’s March Madness and all, but that doesn’t mean the Flyers should let teams go on basketball-like runs.

“If you’re losing games, you want to be losing them by one or giving up an empty-netter at the end,” Konecny said. “We’ve got to be tighter and make the right plays to give ourselves a chance to be in games.”

The Islanders had lost the first three games to the Flyers this season, including Thursday night when Claude Giroux and Co. responded from the lopsided Rangers’ loss with a 4-3 victory.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored the Islanders’ first goal Saturday after a Konecny penalty in the Flyers’ offensive zone. The Islanders went 1-for-2 on their power plays, the Flyers were 0-for-3 and are 1-for-11 against the Isles this season.

“It’s my job, obviously, to find solutions,” coach Alain Vigneault said.

The Flyers are on the outside of the playoff chase with a defense that is 30th in the NHL in goals against per game at 3.55 per. Only lowly Ottawa is worse.

They’ve given up at least three goals in 15 consecutive games not counting two shutouts of even lowlier Buffalo.

The Flyers, 4-7-0 in March, will spend Sunday licking their wounds before starting a four-game homestand Monday with the Islanders. After playing New Jersey on Tuesday, they’ll see the Rangers again on Thursday and next Saturday.

Vigneault said after the game he wasn’t sure if Couturier would be back for this third game against the Islanders in less than a week.

“It didn’t seem like right at the beginning we had a lot of energy,” the coach said. “We’re just gonna have to, you know, reenergize tomorrow and get ready for our next game against these guys on Monday.”