UNIONDALE, New York (Reuters) - The Philadelphia Flyers scored a late goal for a 2-1 victory over the slumping New York Islanders on Saturday, extending their winning streak to six games.
The win moves the Flyers into first place in the Eastern Conference with 19 points in 14 games (9-4-1).
Philadelphia's Andreas Nodl scored the game-winning goal with less than six minutes remaining when he slipped a rebound past Islanders goalie Dwayne Roloson.
Roloson was unable to locate the puck after the original shot by Eric Wellwood hit him in the face mask and Nodl simply tapped the loose puck past him.
"It pretty much was a gift," Nodl said of his third-period game winner. "I just tapped it in."
The Islanders have now lost seven successive games.
Mike Richards scored the other goal for the Flyers on a deflection in the first period, and had an assist on the Nodl goal extending his scoring streak to six games.
Matt Moulson scored New York's goal, which tied the score in the second period, on a powerplay.
Flyers rookie goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves for his eighth win of the season and was particularly sharp in the second period as the Flyers were shorthanded three times and were outplayed by New York.
"He has been unbelievable," Nodl said of Bobrovsky who has won his last six starts. "He deserves all the accolades he gets. We would not have won that game without him."
Bobrovsky received plenty of help from his defense, who blocked 26 Islanders shots including a goal saving stop by Matt Carle when he redirected a shot from Moulson wide of an open net after Bobrovsky was out of position.
(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario. Editing by Frank Pingue/Greg Stutchbury)
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