There was no opportunity Friday for the Flyers to try to avenge Ryan Poehling — still out with a head injury suffered on Max Tsyplakov’s hit that knocked him out of last Thursday’s match between the Flyers and Islanders — when the teams met in their first rematch since then.

At least in theory, the NHL took care of that by handing Tsyplakov a three-game suspension, the last game of which was served Friday. 

Tsyplakov, though, did not mind one bit the way the Flyers reacted in the moment, by taking a bad penalty and appearing distracted throughout the rest of the period before settling down to beat the Islanders, 5-3, following an inexplicable loss of energy from the home side. 

“So fun,” Tsyplakov told The Post before the Islanders’ 3-1 victory on Friday night. “I think it’s the same as a playoff game, the reaction. A lot of hits. For not only me — all guys, all teams be ready for this. Same as in a playoff game.” 

No penalty for head contact and Torts couldn't believe it 😳 pic.twitter.com/DmoAbasiNI

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 17, 2025

The role of villain is not one Tsyplakov is used to playing.

He never dropped gloves while playing in the KHL and turned down the chance to do so after Garnet Hathaway asked him following the hit on Poehling, calling it “the first moment a guy wanted to fight with me.” 

Asked about the play, Tsyplakov was clear there was no intent to injure.

But, like coach Patrick Roy, he was left confused by the sequence of events in which a hit ruled a major penalty on the ice was subsequently declared not to be worthy of a penalty at all before the league stepped in for a suspension. 

“After this moment, I go on the bench and look at this moment,” Tsyplakov said. “I see it’s OK. It’s what the referee called. I think it’s all clean. But it’s a suspension.” 

Nevertheless, Tsyplakov is trying to make the most of what amounts to a week off from playing games and give himself a bit of a reset, which could last longer than intended if Roy opts to stick with a forward group that helped deliver back-to-back wins heading into Friday. 

“It’s time for rest,” Tsyplakov said. “Make a power comeback for 100 percent.” 

In 123:16 of ice at five-on-five with Kyle MacLean — the Isles’ fourth-line center pretty much all year — Pierre Engvall has a 54.34 expected goals percentage on high-danger chances, per Natural Stat Trick.

In all other minutes, Engvall’s expected goals rate is a terrible 37.03. MacLean’s is an even-worse 33.78. 

“I’m just trying to play my game and play the best I can,” Engvall told The Post. “Obviously, when you play [on the] fourth line, you have some other responsibilities: trying to play a bit simpler, a bit harder.”