With the NY Islanders eight points out of the 8th playoff spot, its fair to say that tonights game in Philadelphia is a 'must-win' if they would like any chance at making the post-season. With the entire team healthy, there is literally no excuse for a poor effort. The last time the Islanders faced the Flyers Evgeni Nabokov stole the game for the Isles in a 1-0 shootout win, and for a similar result Nabokov will have to - once again - stand on his head.
Islanders players will be faced with a significant physiological burden to overcome following their heartbreaking loss in Washington. Thus far this season they've struggled when dealing with adversity which raises quite a few concerns regarding how mentally prepared they are for tonight's game. A situation like this is where a head coach must step up to lead their team through the adversity which means tonight will be very telling about Jack Capuano's lack of leadership in the locker room if the club falls flat on their face.
Evgeni Nabokov, as expected, gets the start for the Islanders. Nabokov has done great against the Flyers in his career with an 8-1-2 record.
The healthy scratch for the Isles is Nino Niederreiter. This is the second straight game that Niederreiter has been sat (For more on Niederreiter: Niederreiter's Struggles).
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