The Isles are indeed the slightly better defensive team than the Flyers, with the Islanders posting a 2.76 goals-against average, and Philadelphia posting a 2.83 goals-against average. It’s also true that the Flyers are the better team on offense, putting up a 2.98 goals-for average compared to the Isles’ 2.76 goals-for average.

BOTTOM LINE: The Philadelphia Flyers enter the matchup with the New York Islanders after losing five straight games. New York has a 15-7-2 record in Metropolitan Division games and a 40-30-9 record overall. The Islanders have a 33-6-4 record in games they ...