Iceland is heading to Edmonton for the finals of the Easton Conference.
Taking the top-ranked flyers out of the snow and finally out of the Stanley Cup playoffs in Toronto on Saturday night, the Islands secured their place in their first conference final since 1993, winning Game 7 with a 4-0 victory.
He will face Tampa Bay Lighting in Game 1 on Monday night.
The Islands held Philadelphia to just nine shots in the first 40 minutes, effectively hitting a heavy on the forehead and sticking to a 200-foot game that served them well this postseason. Every inch Flyer tried to lift, the island was exhausted.
Once again, it was a full team effort. Following Scott Mayfield’s first-round goal, the Islands now have 16 different players to make this postseason.
Thomas Greece, who appeared in his first Game 7, set aside 16 shots for his 14th career shotout in just his second start from this postseason.
Greece, playing for the first time since Game 4, had an early scare when it came in the direction of Jacob Voresek and less than a minute into the game. Worcester gave another chance shortly after with a hard shot – Clyde Giroux tried to tip over Greece before stopping.
Mayfield’s push paid off with patience as he tied the Flyers goalkeeper Carter Hart at 9:27 to give the Islands a 1-0 lead in the first half. The Islands’ first line picked up the momentum and pinned the flyers in their zone, Barzel grabbed Lee who tried to get the puck inside but was crushed by Hart’s pads.
The Islands, who beat the Flyers 10-6 in the first round, continued to control the pace of the game. After Bresard threw a shot and then sent Andy Green a cross-ice pass in the open net for a timer, things got a 2-0 lead at 13-0. This was Brasard’s fourth point in the last three matches.
Green is the third oldest defender in NHL history to score in a Game 7 at 37 years and 311 days old.
Worcester was called up for a high-end J. G. Pejo towards the first end, giving the Islands the power to open the second period but they were unable to invest, Jordan Eberle failed to get the stick at the turn of the bounce.
Hart later had a long stand of the Isles shot in the second. Nelson quickly entered the flyers’ zone and two shots were fired at the door of his home, which Hart saved before he even fired a shot from Nick Lady. Anthony Bee Villiers then tried to bat the puck outside the midfield and it arrived at 7:30 p.m.
Nelson was forced to change the defensive zone to start a mob of strange men who joined Josh Bailey to join Nelson at 11:26 to easily stop at the other end of the ice. Forced to give the command 0. Leadership.
Bailey’s assist was the 14th of his postseason, the most by an Islander player in a single postseason since Bob Bourne (20) in the organization’s last Stanley Cup winning season in 1983.
With just five minutes left in the second, Greece made a big save on Kevin Hayes, before Adam Pelech jumped in front of Oscar Lindblom’s shot to keep the flyer off the board.
Defending a 3-0 lead in the third, the Islands penalized Nielsen for delaying the game at 6:27. Philadelphia did not record a goal on the power play as the Islanders’ penalty kill ended the series 13-13.
