Flyers-Islanders 5 Things: Still Trying to Clean Up Mistakes After Bye Week

Flyers (22-19-6) at Islanders (19-17-8)
6 p.m. – CSN/CSNPhilly.com and streaming live on the NBCSports app; Pregame Live begins at 5:30.

The struggling Flyers head north Sunday night to battle the Metropolitan Division rival Islanders at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Let's take a closer look at Sunday's matchup.

1. New week, same Flyers
Those hoping the Flyers would be a refreshed, recharged team after the bye week met a harsh reality Saturday night.

The Flyers were blown out of the Wells Fargo Center in a 4-1 loss to the Devils that saw the same things continue to haunt the home team - defensive breakdowns and a lack of offense, among other things.

It's no secret this season is quickly slipping away from the Flyers. They've lost their hold on the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference to the upstart Maple Leafs and the Hurricanes, Panthers and Devils are breathing right down the Flyers' backs. To pile on the good news, every other team in the East is within four points of the Flyers, including the last-place Isles, who have 46 points compared to the Flyers' 50 points.

Needless to say, the margin for error is all but gone.

This has been said many times recently, but the emphasis still hasn't waned - if the Flyers want to save this season, it has to start with the next game.

2. What's the mindset?
Michal Neuvirth, who was pulled before the third period of Saturday's game for "precautionary reasons," had a striking quote after the loss to the Devils.

"When you lose so many games, you lose confidence," he told reporters.

He's not kidding, and further proof of that came in the loss to the Devils, when the game was tied 1-1. In the second period, Radko Gudas was whistled for a clipping penalty and, boy, was it an awful call. It was nothing more than a hard hip check, aka a solid hockey play. Gudas got the two-minute minor and then Wayne Simmonds received an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct for protesting the call, giving Jersey a full two-man advantage.

Predictably, the Devils scored to take the lead. Also predictably, the Flyers unraveled after that point.

It just seems lately that when something goes wrong for the Flyers, it all goes wrong for the Flyers. And that's a troubling trend.

3. Changes in Brooklyn
Superstar John Tavares is still there, but beside that, plenty has changed since the Flyers and Islanders last met, a 3-2 Flyers shootout win in November at the Barclays Center.

No more Jack Capuano behind the Isles' bench, as he was recently canned amidst his team's struggles. Assistant general manager Doug Weight, whom you may remember from his not so distant playing days, is the interim head coach for the Isles.

Remember goalie Jaroslav Halak, who started the two teams' first meeting? It's no longer his net in Brooklyn, as he's had a falling out with the club, lost the starting job to Thomas Greiss and was recently put on waivers.

And the Isles have responded positively to the changes, as they've won three in a row heading into Sunday night's contest. The last-place moniker is misleading because the Isles are still just five points out of the final wild-card spot and still have tons of talent.

4. Keep an eye on …
Flyers: Let's go with Travis Konecny. Let's just say the Flyers are in need of an energy jolt these days and the rook has just the type of skillset to provide it. He scored his team's only goal Saturday against the Devils and isn't afraid to throw his body around if need be. He also scored against the Isles earlier this season. He's now up to eight goals and 14 assists on the season.

Islanders: It has got to be John Tavares. The guy is an absolute star, but still could fit into the "underrated" or "under the radar" categories just because he plays for the Isles. I mean, check out this goal he scored earlier this year against St. Louis. Holy moly. While you're at it, get a glimpse of this one he scored against Dallas last week. He's got 19 goals and 17 assists on the year. In his career against the Flyers, he's got 15 goals and 13 assists for 28 points, the third-most points he's tallied against any team in the NHL.

5. This and that
• In a scheduling quirk, Sunday evening will mark the fourth straight time the Flyers and Islanders will play in Brooklyn. They haven't met in Philadelphia in over a full calendar year - Jan. 9, 2016, a 4-0 Flyers win

• Sunday is the second of four meetings between the teams this season. They'll also play Feb. 9 and March 30, both times in South Philly.

• Greiss will start in net for the Isles on Sunday. He's recorded shutouts in his last two starts. For the season, he's 12-7-2 with a .927 save percentage and a 2.29 goals-against average.

• Reinforcements could be on the way Sunday for the Islanders, as forward Cal Clutterbuck (lower-body) and defenseman Johnny Boychuk (upper-body) could be ready to return to the lineup after injuries.

• Sunday's game will be the second of a back-to-back set for both teams. The Flyers are 6-3-2 this year in such situations.