The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS) - A longer-than-usual season that started in Europe, featured vast improvement from last year and their first playoff-series victory since 2012 ended for the gallant Flyers on Saturday night.

It ended just like the last 44 seasons.

Without a Stanley Cup.

The Flyers dropped a 4-0 decision to the relentless New York Islanders at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena and lost the Eastern Conference semifinal, four games to three.

The Islanders got three points from Brock Nelson and a shutout from rarely tested Thomas Greiss (16 saves) as they advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 1993. They will face well-rested Tampa Bay in Edmonton and will try to continue the momentum built from series wins against Florida, Washington, and the Flyers.

The series against the top-seeded Flyers was, by far, their toughest. But the sixth-seeded Islanders' stars badly outplayed the Flyers' big guns, and Philadelphia's power play was 0 for 13 in the highly physical series.

The Flyers, co-favorites to win the Stanley Cup by many sports books when the playoffs started, went 10-6 in the postseason, which began with a three-game sweep in the round-robin tournament, followed by a six-game victory over Montreal in the conference quarterfinals.

They got inspiration from Oskar Lindblom's return to the lineup in Game 6 Thursday and, despite playing without injured star Sean Couturier, gutted out a 5-4 double-overtime win, their third overtime victory of the series.

Couturier returned to the lineup Saturday, but didn't look like himself and was replaced on the top line in the final period.

The Islanders added an empty-net goal by Anthony Beauvillier.

The Flyers nearly got to within 2-1, but Claude Giroux's deflection of Phil Myers' shot deflected off the post _ the second time his team hit iron in the game _ with 18:37 left in the second period.

It would be their last legitimate chance to get that close to the Islanders.

The Isles continued to push the pace, continued to get odd-man rushes. Only Carter Hart's strong goaltending kept them within 2-0.

New York extended its lead to 3-0 as Nelson finished a two-on-one with Josh Bailey with 8:34 to go in the second. Nelson started the rush by taking the puck away from Giroux in the Flyers' offensive end.

Greiss, the Islanders' backup goalie who was making his second start of the series _ and first of his career in a Game 7 _ was rarely tested in the first two periods. But he made a big stop on Kevin Hayes' point-blank attempt with about five minutes remaining in the second. Oskar Lindblom was moved from the second to fourth line and helped set up Hayes' chance.

Earlier Saturday, Flyers coach Alain Vigneault was asked if he gives his teams a different message before a Game 7. He entered the night 5-2 in Game 7s, including two wins that capped a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit while he was with the Rangers.

"I would say for us, we're in exactly the same situation that we were in prior to Game 5 and prior to Game 6," he said. "If we don't win, our season's over. It's pretty much the same approach. We really don't talk that much about winning or losing. We talk a lot more about the process and what needs to be done on the ice in certain areas against certain players."

Their focus was sharp at the start as the Flyers created three quality chances in the first 6:22.

But Greiss watched Jake Voracek's deflection hit the post, and he later stopped a Giroux tip-in attempt. Giroux fired wide on another chance, this one from the right circle.

The Flyers had the territorial advantage in the first nine-plus minutes, but after they again squandered a power play _ making them 0 for 12 in the series _ the Islanders took over the momentum. And the lead.

They scored on their first good chance as defenseman Scott Mayfield, whose broken stick a led to the Flyers' overtime winner in Game 6, put a well-placed, right-circle shot into the left corner 10:33 left in the first.

It was the first goal for Mayfield in 26 career playoff games and first in 40 games overall.

Less than four minutes later, veteran Andy Greene, another defenseman, made it 2-0 with a quick wrist shot from the left circle. Greene took a great feed from Derick Brassard, who was in the right circle, and beat Hart. The 22-year-old goaltender had been focused on the other side of the ice and made a futile diving attempt.

Voracek appeared slow on his coverage, enabling Greene to pinch and get deep into the left circle before scoring.