The last time the Flyers were in a scoreless tie that reached a shootout was Dec. 6, 2005, when Antero Niittymaki and Calgary's Mikka Kiprusoff were the goaltenders. The Flyers won that shootout, 1-0, as Mike Richards produced the game-winner on home ice.
With 5 minutes, 15 seconds remaining in regulation, Tavares made a great move to split two defenders as he drove to the net, forcing Matt Carle to pull him down with a hook. That gave the Isles their third power play of the night, but they failed to capitalize.
In the first two periods, the Flyers held a territorial edge, but Nabokov was the great equalizer. Again.
Nabokov had a 2.01 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in his first two games against the Flyers this season, and he continued his stellar play Tuesday.
Primarily because of Nabokov - whom the Flyers tried to acquire in June 2010 - the teams were scoreless after two periods.
First periods have haunted the Flyers recently, so it was almost a moral victory that they were in a scoreless tie after the opening 20 minutes, outshooting the Islanders, 10-7.
It marked just the second time in their last nine games that the Flyers had outshot an opponent in the first period. They entered the night with just three wins in their last eight games - and had been outscored, 7-2, in the first periods of those five losses.
"We talked about being ready to play," coach Peter Laviolette said before the game.
Briere returned after missing six games because of a concussion.
"He's a great centerman and he brings a little more depth to our offense," winger Matt Read said before the opening faceoff.
But even with Briere in the lineup, the Flyers didn't have many good scoring chances in the first period. They became much more active in the second period, outshooting the Isles, 15-7, and getting several quality chances.
