Flyers stave off elimination with win over Islanders

FLYERS 4

ISLANDERS 3

TORONTO — Scott Laughton scored on a redirect in overtime after Philadelphia blew a late two-goal lead, helping the Flyers stave off elimination with a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

Coming off consecutive losses, Philadelphia coach Alain Vigneault called on his top players to “put on their big-boy pants” for

Game 5 with the season on the line.

Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk responded with their sticks, scoring their first postseason goals after New York went up 1-0 on Josh Bailey’s first-period goal. Matt Niskanen added his first playoff goal early in the third period to put the Flyers up 3-1.

The scrappy Islanders made a big push late, though, tying it on goals by Brock Nelson and Derick Brassard 93 seconds apart.

Laughton redirected Ivan Provorov’s at 12:20 of overtime and Carter Hart stopped 29 shots to pull the Flyers within 3-2 in the best-of-seven second-round series.

Semyon Varlamov stopped 29 shots for New York.

Game 6 is Thursday in the Toronto bubble.

The Islanders put themselves in position to clinch the series with consecutive wins with different goalies in Games 3 and 4.

Varlamov returned to the crease after Thomas Greiss stopped 36 shots in Game 4 and was sharp early as the

Flyers controlled play much of the first period.

The Islanders opened the second period on a power play after managing four shots in the first and immediately capitalized. Bailey scored on a wraparound through a pile of bodies in the crease, a goal upheld upon review for goaltender interference.

The Flyers withstood another New York push in the second and Giroux scored late, redirecting a shot by Phil Myers through Varlamov’s legs for his first goal in 26 playoff games.