There was a force field around Steve Mason's net for 65 minutes. Then the dreaded shootout robbed the Flyers of a second point.
Mason made 46 saves in the first 65 minutes of play. But the Islanders got the only two goals of the night in the shootout to beat the Flyers, 1-0, in a shootout on Monday night at Nassau Coliseum.
The Flyers again rotated 11 forwards and seven defensemen in the game, but Mason was the star.
As the Islanders focused in on the top line, eliminating the Flyers scoring factor, they did everything they could to solve Mason.
On some occasions, the post came to Mason's aid. On others, his defensemen helped clear the front of the net and break up scoring chances.
In the end, no players recorded points as Mason made 46 saves and Jaroslav Halak made 21.
In the shootout, Frans Nielsen scored to give the Islanders the lead. On the other end, Claude Giroux was robbed on a great sprawling save by Halak to keep the Islanders in front. John Tavares ended the game moments later, scoring on his attempt.
The Flyers road trip opened with the loss, dropping them to 8-9-3. The Flyers are now 0-3 in the shootout this season. The Islanders claimed their seventh straight shootout win and fifth this season.
The Flyers road trip continues on Wednesday in Detroit as they face the Red Wings. The opening face-off is set for 7 p.m.
Kevin Durso is managing editor for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @KDursoPhilsNet
