Nystrom Scores Trick; Islanders Wing Flyers

Don't tell Pete Rozelle, but professional sports do go on after the Super Bowl. And last night, the Philadelphia Flyers did a great Minnesota Viking imitation while bowing to the New York Islanders, 8-3.

The Flyers, losers of only one game in their last 24, were never much of a factor as the Islanders broke a team record by scoring a goal just 16 seconds into the first period. Bryan Trottier scored it, a power-play tally, as Jim Watson sat briefly in the penalty box.

Dennis Potvin made it 2-0 and Bob Nystrom's first of three goals gave the Islanders a three-goal advantage. Moose DuPont slipped one past a sleeping Chico Resch just before the end of the period to make it 3-1.

The second stanza saw the Islanders notch four more against the now sun-burnt Bernie Parent, including two by Swede-turned-Canadian Nystrom completing the third hat trick of his career.

The third period offered more of the same, even though Fred Shero benched Parent in favor of Wayne Stephenson. The Islanders finally relented after two scores brought their total to eight, and the Flyers conceded after scoring three against an on-again, off-again Resch.

This was NBC's second telecast of Monday Night Hockey and neither has turned out too well for the Flyers, who lost last week to the high-flying Montreal Canadians. The Islanders' victory moves them within three points of the Flyers in the race for the Patrick Division title.