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Islanders deal Flyers a blow in 4-1 decision

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - The Flyers' recent dominance against the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum has ended. One has to wonder if their playoff hopes are over as well.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - The Flyers' recent dominance against the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum has ended. One has to wonder if their playoff hopes are over as well.

Michael Grabner's goal with 2 minutes, 18 seconds left in the second period broke a 1-1 tie and propelled the Islanders to a 4-1 win Tuesday night at Nassau Coliseum.

With nine games remaining, the Flyers remain five points out of the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot and are seven points behind the Islanders.

The loss snapped the Flyers' seven-game winning streak on Long Island, including a 7-0 rout on Feb. 18.

When asked if the Flyers would need a miracle to get into the playoffs, forward Scott Hartnell summed it up with a one-word answer.

"Probably," he said.

Steve Mason earned his first Flyers start in goal after playing the third period and saving all nine shots in Saturday's 4-1 loss at Winnipeg. Ilya Bryzgalov had started 36 of the Flyers' first 38 games.

Mason kept the Flyers in the game until the Islanders scored two goals with less than two minutes remaining.

"Overall I felt really good," Mason said. "Over the course of the next little while I will get more comfortable with the defensemen and forwards."

Flyers captain Claude Giroux set up the game's first score, sending Jake Voracek in on goal. Voracek beat Evgeni Nabokov on a backhander with 13:32 left in the first period.

A video review supported the referee's call that Voracek's shot crossed the goal line before the net became displaced.

It was Voracek's 17th goal, just one shy of the career high that he scored in 78 games last year.

On the goal, Voracek took his time, sizing up Nabokov before beating him on the backhand.

"I knew G saw me so I kind of cheated a little bit," Voracek said. "I think the puck bounced over their defenseman's stick."

The Flyers had also scored first in Saturday's loss to Winnipeg.

"We played a good game, and if we play the way we should for 60 minutes I think we win the game," Giroux said. "For some reason we don't play 60 minutes and that has hurt us."

Early on, Mason wasn't tested much, although he did stop John Tavares from inside the left circle just past the midway point of the first period.

The Islanders tied the score when Brad Boyes split the defense and fed Matt Moulson, who tapped the puck in for his 13th goal with 4:24 left in the first period.

Early in the second period, shortly after Islanders forward Matt Martin ran into Mason, Flyers center Brayden Schenn dropped the gloves with Martin. Martin got in a solid right before the two were separated.

Near the midway point of the period, the Flyers applied pressure, forcing Nabokov to make a kick save on Voracek. He also stopped a slap shot from Oliver Lauridsen.

On the other end, Mason stopped second-period breakaways by Grabner and Kyle Okposo. The Islanders took a 2-1 lead when Colin McDonald fed Grabner in the slot and he beat Mason.

New York applied the early third-period pressure, but the Flyers picked up the pace until Tavares scored with just 1:37 left and Casey Cizikas added another score 28 seconds later.