Time: Sunday, Dec 27, 2009 at 5:00 PM ET
League: NHL – United States of America

Last 10 matches: Philadelphia 4-5-1; New York 4-6-0
This is the third meeting this season between the Atlantic Division rivals. The Flyers won, 2-1, on the Island on Thanksgiving Eve when Mike Richards and Scott Hartnell scored and Brian Boucher made 28 saves. The Flyers won, 6-2, in Philadelphia on Dec. 8 when Richards, Jeff Carter and Claude Giroux each scored twice and Boucher made 21 saves.Weight has missed 23 games since suffering a shoulder injury on Nov. 6. Left wing Sean Bergenheim has missed eight games with a rib injury and is out indefinitely. Martinek suffered a season-ending knee injury in early November. DiPietro underwent September knee surgery and has had several setbacks in his recovery. Knee problems caused him to miss the last 41 games last season after he played only five games in 2008-09.

Emery underwent abdominal surgery on Dec. 8 and is due back in late January. Defenseman Ryan Parent was scratched after the warmup Saturday night and no explanation was given. Center Jared Ross suffered a head injury Nov. 27 and has missed 14 games. Tollefson missed 16 games with a concussion, returned Dec. 14 and suffered a knee injury. He’s due back in early January. Boucher suffered a cut finger last week, missed the Tampa Bay game, but was on the bench Saturday night. Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said after the game he hadn’t decided on Sunday’s goalie.
The Islanders and Flyers rank fourth and fifth, respectively, in the Atlantic Division standings, with the Islanders a point ahead of the Flyers and three points behind the eighth-place Atlanta Thrashers in the Eastern Conference. Neither team is out of the Stanley Cup Playoff picture but they both need a better second half, and a division game is a place to gain ground.

Both teams have significant injury problems. The Islanders’ No. 1 goalie, Rick DiPietro, hasn’t played this season after September knee surgery. Philadelphia’s Ray Emery had abdominal surgery earlier this month. Both teams have had a first-line player miss most of the season. New York captain Doug Weight has played only 11 games and is due back soon. Flyers’ left wing Simon Gagne has played four games since missing 24 after hernia surgeries. Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek is out for the season after a knee injury and Flyers defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen has missed most of the season with a concussion and knee injury.
Richards has three goals and six points in the past six games, plus a shootout goal for the Flyers on Saturday. Danny Briere also had a goal and a shootout score Saturday. … Islanders winger Kyle Okposo has a goal and three assists in the past three games. Center Frans Nielsen has two goals and five points in the past five games. Results and goal’s highlights, will be available soon..