Creating and sustaining an impact has been a lingering issue during the first 3 1⁄2 months of the season. It’s part of the reason the Islanders (17-19-7, 41 points) entered the first of three games in 14 days against the Flyers in 15th place in the Eastern Conference, two points ahead of last-place Buffalo.

Brock Nelson scored 2:03 into overtime and the New York Islanders rallied to beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2.

Brock Nelson scored 2:03 into overtime Saturday night for the New York Islanders, who earned a dramatic and unlikely 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Elmont, N.Y.

The New York Islanders (21-20-7) fought back from an early 2-0 deficit to win their fourth straight game and defeated the Carolina Hurricanes (30-16-4) 3-2 on Saturday night in UBS Arena.

On a night that featured three new-team debuts, including Taylor Hall, Mikko Rantanen and Tony DeAngelo, the New York Islanders found a way to come back and defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in overtime on a goal by Brock Nelson.

Tyson Foerster scored the lone goal for Philadelphia as the Flyers fall to the New York Islanders 3-1 Friday night.

Brock Nelson also scored and Kyle Palmieri added two assists for the Islanders, who have won six of their last eight games.

NEW YORK — Anthony Duclair and Bo Horvat scored 55 seconds apart late in the first period and Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves as the New York Islanders extended their winning streak to three games with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday night.

As of this moment, it’s conceivable that the Leafs could face 11 of the 15 other teams in the Eastern Conference in Round 1. But which opponent would give them the best chance at advancing to Round 2?

Result: The Islanders are playing faster hockey (a necessity in the NHL), are breaking the puck out of their defensive zone quickly and cleanly and are able to sustain momentum shift to shift as one group of players can build upon the forecheck or physicality of the players returning to the bench.

The Isles are 8-5-7 in games decided by a single goal including 4-5 in regulation. They are 2-6 in games decided in overtime and are 2-1 in shootouts. The Isles are 3-8 in games in which an empty-net goal turns a 1-goal game into a 2-goal game.

For the first time since Oct. 29, Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat started a game on the same line, a change that led to Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri reuniting as well. With Maxim Tsyplakov suspended ...