UNIONDALE, N.Y.The pain was etched across Jaromir Jagrs face.
Not just the pain of aggravating a groin pull, but the pain of knowing he might have come back too soon.
Jagr removed himself from Wednesdays game against the Islanders five minutes into the second period.
He did not return and said he wont play in the Flyers Black Friday matinee against Montreal and will also sit out Saturdays game in New York.
We got two games and then five days off, Jagr said. I think Im not going to play those two games and make sure when I come back I want to come back strong.
Things began well for him in the first period, Jagr said.
I didnt feel the pain, he said. Then, in the second period during a power play, they forced the puck and I chased it. I was in a bad position and stretched the groin too much. I injured it again. I pulled the same muscle again.
NHL
On his next shift, he took a pass from Claude Giroux, tried to go for a breakaway, he said, but felt the tugging in his groin again.
Thats when he left the ice for good.
Groin pulls can wreck havoc with a hockey player. Danny Briere tried to play through them earlier in his Flyer career and ended up having surgery.
Jagr said he will now err on the side of caution.
I probably came back two days too early, Jagr said. But I didnt just want to sit around. I love this team too much. I wanted to help. I didnt help much but Im glad we won.
Those early goals
The Flyers scored 18 seconds into the game and the Islanders answered at 37 seconds.
Elias says:
That was the quickest 1-1 score in Flyers history. The previous quickest occasion was March 15, 1980, Flyers at Atlanta. Atlanta scored at 31 seconds and the Flyers matched at 58 seconds. Its the only other Flyers game where both teams scored in the first minute.
The last NHL game in which both teams scored within 37 seconds of the start of a game was Dec. 13, 1993, Washington at Quebec, when each team scored a goal within the first 35 seconds.
The last NHL game where each team scored on its first shot was March 4, 2011, Carolina at Chicago.
First time
The Flyers won for the first time this season when going beyond regulation. They had lost three previous times, two of which were in overtime and one was in a shootout. They also won for the first time when trailing after two periods. They are now 1-6-0 in that situation.
Trailing
The Flyers were down by two goals after the first period for the third consecutive game. They have been outscored 8-2 in the first period over their previous three games after outscoring opponents 27-14 in opening period of their first 18 games.
Loose pucks
Sergei Bobrovsky is now 6-0-0 with a 1.83 GAA against the Islanders in his career. ... Fellow goalie Rick DiPietros last win against the Flyers was a 4-3 decision here on Feb. 12, 2008. ... Rookie Matt Reads goal-scoring streak ended at five games.
E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net.