Game #81 Preview: Flyers @ Islanders 4/11/09

@

Last road game of the regular season. Here's hoping the last post-season road game is in another time zone.

Why the Flyers Will Win:

• The Flyers are 5-0-0 in their previous meetings with the Islanders this season. I'm sensing a pattern there.
  
• The Islanders have been really bad lately. REALLY BAD. With nothing to play for (and every loss helping their draft lottery chances in the Tavares Sweepstakes), the Islanders haven't been trying. Believe it or not, just like Michael Scott, there's a big difference between the Islanders trying and the Islanders not trying. The Islanders have lost their last two games by a combined score of 15-1. They're giving up an average of 2.5 goals a period, which is more than some teams have given up per game this year.
  
• Ryan Parent is back from whatever was wrong with him, so the defense (which wasn't even bad without him) will be all the better.
• Daniel Carcillo had his best game as a Flyer on Thursday. Still no scoring, but it's the closest he's come. Hopefully he takes advantage of the Islanders' shitty goaltending to get some momentum.
  

Why the Islanders Will Win:

• This is the definition of a trap game. It's impossible for the Flyers not to be thinking ahead to the playoffs, and even the Rangers tomorrow. Hopefully this team has more focus than that.
  
• If I'm the Flyers, losing this game wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Dropping to sixth would mean losing home ice, yes, but it would also mean avoiding the hot Hurricanes and Penguins and facing the cold Devils in the first round. Not a terrible idea, maybe?

Prediction: Islanders win 4-1 in a game that unnerves many in Flyerland. Sorry.