Power-play frustrations grow in Flyers’ first game after the All-Star break

It’s now been four games since the Flyers last scored on the power play.

The Flyers went 0-for-2 on the man advantage in Monday night’s 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders. The Flyers’ power-play percentage of 15.8% ranks second-to-last in the NHL, barely ahead of the Montreal Canadiens (15.6%).

The Islanders are tied with the Anaheim Ducks for third-to-last with a percentage of 15.9%, but their special teams did strike on their second power play on Monday, going 1-for-3 on the night. Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri opened the scoring with a power-play tally late in the first period, ending a 26 extra-man drought.

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With one of the Flyers’ go-to penalty killers, Scott Laughton, in the box for interference, Palmieri buried a feed from Josh Bailey to put the Isles ahead.

“There were too many penalties early in the game. You take a couple when you’re just starting back, and you can’t get any flow on your bench,” Flyers head coach John Tortorella said. “Bottom line is, they played better the first period, much better.”

The Flyers’ power play hasn’t scored in its last 11 opportunities.

The team’s first opportunity after the All-Star break came in the second period on Monday, when Owen Tippett drew a holding penalty. The Flyers’ best chance came when James van Riemsdyk tipped a wrist shot from Hayes, but Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov made the stop.

“Sometimes that’s the way it goes. You want to make sure you’re really bearing down when you get those chances, especially against a team like this who doesn’t give up too many of them,” van Riemsdyk said. “Unfortunately, they didn’t go in. So you’ve got to make sure you’re working on that sort of stuff in practice, so you can bury them next time.”

The Flyers’ second power play of the night was ugly. Tippett drew a slashing call in the third period, sending Palmieri off, and gift-wrapping the Flyers an opportunity to tie the game at 2. This time, the Flyers didn’t muster a single shot on goal, and could barely sustain offensive-zone pressure. They even surrendered a shorthanded chance to Casey Cizikas. Though Carter Hart made the save, boos rained down from the home crowd at the Wells Fargo Center.

“I think it’s just a matter of getting back to simplifying it, and getting pucks towards the net. I think when we work around or try and think too much ahead, it can hurt you. So I think just going to simplify it, and get back to basics,” Tippett said.

The Islanders rank fourth in the NHL in penalty-kill percentage, at 83.2%.

“That team knows how to check. They know how to protect the lead. Veteran group, good sticks,” Tortorella said. “We’re gonna find out about some people when we start playing these games here in the checking part of it, because teams are going to ramp that up, and it’s going to be really interesting to see how guys react.”