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Tag: Travis Konecny

  • Flyers takeaways: Travis Konecny is ‘tired’ of losing, Sam Ersson’s struggles, and one bright spot from Boston

    Flyers takeaways: Travis Konecny is ‘tired’ of losing, Sam Ersson’s struggles, and one bright spot from Boston

    BOSTON ― Last week’s seemingly galvanizing trip west, which resulted in the Flyers grabbing five of a possible six points against some of the NHL’s best, looks to have been just another false dawn, as the sinking Orange and Black dropped their third straight game at TD Garden on Thursday.

    Here are three takeaways from the Flyers’ 6-3 loss to the Bruins, which marked the team’s 10th defeat in the last 12 games.

    Flyers fall 6-3 to Bruins in a game that felt doomed from the start

    ‘It’s frustrating’

    Travis Konecny leads the Flyers in goals (21), assists (29), and points (50), and is second behind Noah Cates (plus-15) among the team’s forwards with a plus-eight rating. The veteran sniper fired a hat trick in Columbus on Wednesday and followed it up with a goal and an assist in Boston a night later.

    But while Konecny has played like an All-Star and led from the front of late, the alternate captain’s raw emotion after Thursday’s game made it clear that he’s only concerned with stacking wins.

    “Yeah, it’s frustrating because I’ve been through this so many times. I’m tired of missing the playoffs,” said Konecny, who has seen recent Flyers seasons slip away at this time of the year. “That is kind of all I look at right now, just want to get points for the team, and we need to figure something out.”

    The answer was a painfully honest one from a player who has endured a lot of losing in recent seasons and is desperate to return to the playoffs after a five-year hiatus. Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet has talked about wanting guys who care and aren’t going to “accept” losing, and Konecny, who has matured and grown immensely as a leader in recent seasons, is clearly one of those guys who wants to be part of turning things around.

    “Some guys spoke after the game, I think everyone knows where we’re at,” said Konecny. “We just got to execute. And like I said, there’s mistakes all over the ice, but you ask any of the leaders, it starts with us. Their second goal, I made a mistake there, and [we] can’t be doing that game after game. I think we all need to look in the mirror.”

    There has been much social media debate about the 28-year-old Konecny, who has played 22 career playoff games but none since the 2020 COVID-19 bubble, but the Flyers could use more guys like him, and it’s concerning to think where this team might be without him.

    Flyers right wing Travis Konecny has been red-hot with 16 goals and 31 points over his past 28 games.

    Sam’s struggles

    Sam Ersson’s struggles are well-documented, as the Swede’s .856 save percentage is the lowest among the 56 NHL goalies who have played at least 15 games this season. The analytics are no better, as according to Money Puck, Ersson’s minus-18.1 goals saved above expected is the third-worst mark in the NHL and 25 goals worse than his partner, Dan Vladař.

    But Thursday provided a perfect snapshot of the enigma Ersson has been, as his performance showcased why fans have grown so frustrated with the backup netminder, but also featured some flashes of why the Flyers have stood by Ersson for so long despite his struggles.

    Ersson started the game brilliantly, shutting down Marat Khusnutdinov from in close just 14 seconds in, followed by a couple of 10-bell saves on Sean Kuraly from point-blank range that showcased the netminder’s athleticism. Ersson, who was always going to need to have a big game given the Flyers’ tired legs on a road back-to-back, was keeping the Flyers in it.

    Flyers takeaways: Sam Ersson is ‘in the mud’ and needs to get out; Garnet Hathaway finally breaks through “I don’t know if the sarcastic che

    But then the Mr. Hyde side of Ersson reared its ugly head as it has so often over the past two seasons. Ersson was in good position to stop Viktor Arvidsson’s one-timer from 25 feet out, but the shot from the right faceoff circle, which Arvidsson didn’t get all of, snuck through the goalie’s five-hole for Boston’s opener.

    The script soon repeated itself, as after Ersson made a few big saves to close the first period, he allowed another soft goal early in the second period. Fraser Minten was the beneficiary this time, as just like on Arvidsson’s tally, his shot beat Ersson five-hole on the ice. The goal served as a backbreaker as the Flyers had begun the second period strongly and were close to halving the deficit.

    Ersson’s talent was on display minutes later, as down 3-1, he made a miraculous, toe save on Andrew Peeke, albeit right before Casey Mittelstadt flipped home the rebound.

    “I don’t know, it’s not just [Ersson], just some of the goals, weakside stuff that we are giving up, that’s a tough one for any goalie when you give weakside goals up,” said Tocchet.

    Ersson, who did not speak with the media post-game after leaving the contest after two periods with a lower-body injury, allowed five goals on 20 shots and was culpable for two tough goals against.

    While Ersson has shown flashes and stretches of being an NHL goalie, he has been far too sporadic and unreliable the past two seasons for a Flyers team that needs a steady backup. A restricted free agent at season’s end, his days in Philly look to be numbered.

    Grebenkin’s growth

    If there was a silver lining from Thursday’s loss, it was the effort of winger Nikita Grebenkin.

    The 22-year-old, who has been in and out of Tocchet’s good graces over the course of the season, had one of his best games since being acquired by the Flyers last March in the Scott Laughton trade.

    Elevated to the top line for the game alongside Konecny and Christian Dvorak, Grebenkin, who Rasmus Ristolainen said “brings energy every day,” seemed to be directly involved in most of the Flyers’ best moments offensively.

    Flyers winger Nikita Grebenkin is starting to play the type of game that Rick Tocchet is looking for from the power forward.

    With 12 minutes gone in the first period, Grebenkin pounced on a puck in the neutral zone with speed and carried into the Boston zone. As Tocchet has so often pleaded with the Russian to do, Grebenkin used his 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame to strongly shield the puck from Jonathan Aspirot before shifting it quickly from his backhand to forehand to try and jam one by Jeremy Swayman.

    Swayman stopped the initial shot, but a crashing Dvorak slammed home the rebound. While the goal was ultimately disallowed as Grebenkin was ruled to have interfered with the goaltender, it was the kind of power forward-type play teammates enjoy seeing from the youngster.

    “I just love how hard he works,” Konecny said of Grebenkin. “He’s trying to learn the details of how to play the right way and he’s a great guy, too, so I love working with him. ”He’s got a lot of skill, too. So I think the more opportunity he gets, he’ll just keep running with it.”

    Grebenkin was also involved in the Flyers’ first goal that stood, as directly after he fired a shot on goal, he delivered a big hit on Mark Kastelic that knocked the Bruins’ tough guy off his skates and prevented him from retrieving the puck. Seconds later, Dvorak deflected a clearing attempt from Kuraly into the slot for a wide-open Konecny to score.

    Grebenkin would be rewarded for his efforts with a goal at the end of the second period, as he was first on the scene to bury a rebound after Konecny’s breakaway and follow-up attempt were both stopped by Swayman. In 13 minutes, 43 seconds of ice time, Grebenkin registered a goal, five shots, and one hit, while leading the team with four scoring chances at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.

    It remains to be seen if Grebenkin retains his spot on the top line come Saturday, but his encouraging performance in Boston suggests he’s earned more ice time and deserves a longer look there.

  • The Flyers need their top line of Trevor Zegras, Travis Konency, and Christian Dvorak to rediscover its game — and fast

    The Flyers need their top line of Trevor Zegras, Travis Konency, and Christian Dvorak to rediscover its game — and fast

    It’s been a roller coaster of a January for the Flyers.

    Within 27 days, the Flyers have claimed wins against the two-time Stanley Cup finalist Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks, endured a six-game losing streak, and snatched five of six points across the new Death Valley.

    Monday brought a reality check as the Flyers faced a division opponent, the New York Islanders, and were handed a 4-0 loss. But coach Rick Tocchet has emphasized how important it is for his club to remain at an even keel.

    Flyers takeaways: ‘Some guys accepted it,’ and more quotes from a disappointing loss to the Islanders

    “It’s huge,” forward Travis Konecny said when asked about Tocchet’s approach, which was also stated by Jamie Drysdale after the game Monday.

    “I mean, even during a game, I know, I get pretty intense and frustrated, but it’s important to just reset every shift and not let things drag on. Especially coming in this morning, a positive attitude, be excited to play, be excited to practice, and on we go.”

    The Flyers now head to Columbus to face a Blue Jackets team that has only lost once in six games since Rick Bowness took over following the dismissal of former coach Dean Evason on Jan. 12. And it’s another critical game against a division foe that trails the Flyers by just two points in a tight Eastern Conference. The Flyers are currently two points back of the Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Metro, albeit with a game in hand, and six points back in the wild card, also with games in hand.

    While Tocchet likes that his team is so close and has been resilient, he did say Tuesday that part of being close is holding each other accountable when warranted.

    “I’d like to see them get on each other a little bit. In a positive way — I’m not saying yell and scream — but whether it’s practice, or if somebody makes a mistake after the first in the dressing room after the coaches leave don’t be afraid to make your friend accountable,“ the coach said. ”Sometimes we’re all buddies and they’re scared to say something. I find that a little bit with this team. The teams that I’ve played or coached with the leadership gets on each other, in a good way. That’s probably the next level for this team.”

    If the Flyers are to stay in playoff contention, one thing they’ll need is the top line of Konecny, Trevor Zegras, and Christian Dvorak to rediscover its game. Since Jan. 1, Konecny has nine points in 11 games (he missed one game with an upper-body injury), and Zegras and Dvorak have seven apiece across 12 contests. From the outside, those numbers don’t look bad, but the glaring issue is their plus-minus; Konecny is a surprising minus-3, Zegras is minus-4, and Dvorak is minus-8.

    According to Natural Stat Trick, when the trio has been on the ice as a line at five-on-five since Jan. 1, the Flyers have allowed a greater share of shot attempts (54.34%), shots (53.49%), scoring chances (54.08%), and more high-danger goals (2-3). The one plus: they have managed to outscore opponents, 6-4.

    After averaging a point per game through his first 41 games as a Flyer, Trevor Zegras has two goals, five points, and is a minus-five over his last 10 games.

    But it’s a marked difference from the 38 games before the flip of the calendar. In those games, with that trio on the ice, the Flyers scored nine goals and allowed nine, but outshot (52.29%), outchanced from high-danger areas (63.01%), and outscored opponents from high-danger spots by a wide margin (7-2). They were also even in scoring chances.

    “I hate to use the word cheating; they’re cheating for offense,” Tocchet said of his top line’s game recently. “You’ve got to go through the procession to get offense. … And I think they put pressure on themselves. It’s not like a lot of guys are filling the net. So they feel that they have to be that line, but you can’t be that line that just cheats for offense.

    “You’ve got to play the right way. You’ll get the same amount of chances in the long run, and that’s the way you’re supposed to play the game anyway.”

    The Flyers need their top line to produce. Konecny played well during his latest streak, a four-game one with six points, which ended on Monday. But Dvorak has just two goals and one assist in the past seven games, all of which came in the OT loss to Utah, including one tally on the power play. Zegras has also cooled off considerably. He had 41 points in the first 41 games of the season, but has scored only twice in the 10 games since his emotional multi-goal game against his former club, the Anaheim Ducks.

    The Flyers will be irrelevant as long as they lack a No. 1 center. A trade for Robert Thomas could change that.

    “I think get to the inside with the puck. I feel like we’re kind of one-and-done plays right now, which is something we know, and we’re talking about,” Zegras said of his line.

    “It’s not like, ‘oh, we think we’re perfect and then we don’t have to do the little things or the hard things.’ I just think it’s that next play that we have to get back to making, whether it’s beating a check or supporting a guy in a corner. But I think just getting that puck to the inside.”

    Breakaways

    Dan Vladař participated in practice again but remains listed on injured reserve. Aleksei Kolosov was at the team’s practice, too. … The defensive pairings had Emil Andrae on the outside looking in. Tocchet said on Tuesday he felt the Swedish defenseman “seems to skate into trouble and he’s been losing the puck a lot.” … Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen returned to the lineup on Monday after missing six games with an upper-body injury. He said it “[stunk] to kind of watch from the couch,” but said, while it’s never easy, he was able to slide right back into the lineup because the “last couple of years, I’m kind of used to it [but] it was a lot easier to come back after missing 10 days than when I was out for nine months.”

  • Flyers fall again to the Lightning 5-1, extend losing streak to three games

    Flyers fall again to the Lightning 5-1, extend losing streak to three games

    All good things must come to an end.

    After being one of the NHL’s best teams following a loss — 9-1-2 after losing in regulation and 13-2-5 following any loss — the Flyers have now lost two straight in regulation for the second time this season. The last time that happened was in November.

    Following Saturday’s 7-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, they were handed a 5-1 defeat by the same squad, both at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    The Flyers have now lost three straight, including the 2-1 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday. It also matches the longest losing streak of the season, set in mid-December.

    Flyers look to avenge Saturday’s blowout loss in rematch with the Lightning: ‘You’ve got to minimize your mistakes’

    Once again, the Lightning took an early 1-0 lead. This time, it was Pontus Holmberg beating Dan Vladař on a bouncing puck. The Flyers stepped up in the neutral zone, something they struggled with on Saturday, but Tampa Bay regained control, and once they got the puck in the Flyers’ end, they pinned them deep.

    Eventually, the Lightning’s Zemgus Girgensons got the puck in the right circle and put it toward the front of the net with Holmberg and Travis Sanheim battling. The puck bounced around, and after Holmberg’s shot was initially blocked by Sanheim, his second attempt beat Vladař.

    Just 33 seconds into the second period, Jake Guentzel made it 2-0 Tampa Bay with his 20th of the season. Off the opening faceoff, the Lightning dumped the puck in, and the Flyers seemed to be OK as they worked it around the boards.

    Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (right) and Cam York sit on the ice after Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (center) scored a second period power play goal on Monday. Point was injured hurt on the play.

    But Trevor Zegras was double-teamed by Anthony Cirelli and Guentzel and lost the puck. Guentzel, who is playing for USA Hockey at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, got the puck above the left circle and fired it past a screened Vladař.

    The Lightning took a 3-0 lead on a power-play goal by Brayden Point in front. On the play, Point got his own rebound but was injured in the process as his right leg seemed to get twisted with Cam York. Named to Canada’s Olympic team, Point dropped his gloves immediately and grabbed his right knee before being helped off the ice.

    Before the goal, Darren Raddysh’s stick seemed to hook Sean Couturier up high in the Lightning’s zone and could have been called.

    Flyers goalie Sam Ersson tries to shake off ‘embarrassing’ effort against Lightning

    The Flyers had some chances early on, notably Owen Tippett driving down the left boards, past Maxwell Crozier, and setting up Couturier for a shot that rang off the pipe when they were trailing 1-0. Rodrigo Ābols was also robbed when it was 2-0, when a point shot by Emil Andrae went off the end boards to him in front, and he had two good whacks at the puck.

    Down 3-0, the Flyers started to turn it up and got on the board during four-on-four action.

    After Vladař made a save on Raddysh off his mask, Christian Dvorak got the puck and headed up ice on a two-on-one with Nick Seeler. Dvorak kept the puck and sent a snapshot past goalie Jonas Johansson. It was Dvorak’s 10th of the year and extended his point streak to four games (one goal, three assists).

    Philly had chances to cut further into the lead, especially with a delayed penalty called on Lightning defenseman Erik Černák. The Flyers had a six-on-five and had five shot attempts, including shots by Carl Grundström, who missed practice on Sunday due to illness, and Rasmus Ristolainen.

    But the power play struggled and went 0-for-2 with two shot attempts, zero shots on goal, and an icing call.

    Tampa Bay added another goal with 31 seconds left in the middle frame on a goal by Brandon Hagel, and Nikita Kucherov had an empty-net goal in the third period.

    Breakaways

    Forward Travis Konecny returned after missing Saturday’s game with an upper-body injury and after leaving Sunday’s practice with a lower-body injury. He had five shot attempts, including a chance in the second period down the left side, across 14 minutes, 21 seconds of ice time. The alternate captain also had 14 penalty minutes, with a 10-minute misconduct for abuse of an official. … Nikita Grebenkin and Ābols also dropped the gloves. … The Flyers allowed two power-play goals in four opportunities for Tampa Bay. … Point left the game with a lower-body injury. … Vladař allowed four goals on 25 shots.

    Up next

    The Flyers hit the road for two games in two nights, playing the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO Max) and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN).

  • Flyers will be without Travis Konecny, Jamie Drysdale, and Bobby Brink as they begin pivotal stretch

    Flyers will be without Travis Konecny, Jamie Drysdale, and Bobby Brink as they begin pivotal stretch

    Between now and the Olympic break, the Flyers have 14 games in 26 days. It’s a bit of a gauntlet as they come across red-hot teams like the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Colorado Avalanche.

    The stretch begins Saturday (7 p.m., NBCSP) with the first of two straight home meetings against the Tampa Bay Lightning, winners of eight straight.

    And the Flyers will have to do it without three of their top players. Defenseman Jamie Drysdale was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury on Friday, and forwards Bobby Brink and Travis Konecny are day-to-day with upper-body injuries.

    Flyers takeaways: Power-play struggles continue, Rick Tocchet frustrated about missed reads

    “I talked to Drysie and Brink; they felt better today. So, that’s a real good sign,” coach Rick Tocchet said on Saturday after the team’s morning skate, which Brink and Drysdale participated in wearing green noncontact jerseys.

    “TK said he felt a little bit [better] yesterday, but not good enough to play.”

    Konecny, who did not participate in the morning skate, was injured in Thursday’s overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs after scoring the Flyers’ lone goal.

    Since Nov. 29, when he had two assists in the win against the New Jersey Devils, Konecny is tied for 20th in the NHL in points (21) with names like Mitch Marner, Kirill Kaprizov, Nick Suzuki, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett. His nine goals in that timeframe are tied for 19th with several players, including Sidney Crosby, the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov, and Trevor Zegras.

    Konecny has been playing with Christian Dvorak and Zegras, who called his loss “terrible.”

    “Yeah, it’s a big hole. He’s a big part of our team offensively, especially,” added Sean Couturier. “So it’s going to be next-man-up mentality. He’s not an easy guy to [replace], you don’t just fill in with one guy. But, I think collectively, we can all step up and take over.”

    Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet will shuffle his lines and power-play units without three key regulars on Saturday.

    With Konecny and Brink out of the lineup, Matvei Michkov has been moved to Konecny’s spot. According to Natural Stat Trick, Michkov, Dvorak, and Zegras have played 39 minutes, 15 seconds together this season, with the Flyers having 40 shot attempts for and 40 against and potting two goals while allowing one.

    “When you have four or five guys out, you get the bingo balls going, right?” said Tocchet about reuniting Zegras and Michkov. “You’re trying to put chemistry and thought process. So, yeah, we’ll see how it works.”

    As Couturier said, it is a next-man-up mentality, but the Flyers will assuredly also be looking for Owen Tippett to continue his charge.

    Since Dec. 20, his four goals are tied atop the team’s leaderboard with Konecny and Carl Grundström. His 32 shots during that span rank No. 1 on the Flyers and are tied for the 13th-most in the NHL, but the problem has been his finishing. His 12.5 shooting percentage across those nine games ranks eighth on the team. (Tippet is scoring on an almost identical 12.6% of his shots for the season, also eighth among Flyers.)

    Tippett has been flying of late, using his speed to create chances for himself and his linemates, Denver Barkey and Couturier. Does he feel pressure to produce without Konency in the lineup?

    Contract grades: Was signing Christian Dvorak for the long haul the right move for the Flyers?

    “I don’t want to put that pressure on myself. But I think I said the same thing when [Tyson Foerster] went out, he’s one of those guys that we have to kind of pick up a little bit where we can and contribute where we can,” he said.

    “Obviously, I know I’m capable of doing it, but I think the moment you start putting pressure on yourself to fill that void and fill that gap, it can tend to kind of take away from your game. [Konecny is] a big loss in the room, we all know that, so we’re all going to have to kind of step up and chip in where we can.”

    Breakaways

    Sam Ersson (6-5-4, .868 save percentage) will start against the Lightning. He was in net for the Flyers’ 3-0 loss on Nov. 24 in Tampa Bay, Fla., allowing two goals on 17 shots. … Defenseman Adam Ginning, who was recalled from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Friday, is expected to be a healthy scratch. … Forward Nic Deslauriers will slot back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the past eight games. … With the power play having plummeted — it is tied for second worst with the Washington Capitals (15.0%) — and guys who normally play on the man advantage out, Tocchet has two new units: Tippett, Michkov, Zegras, Dvorak, and Rasmsus Ristolainen are on one, and Noah Cates, Cam York, Barkey, Travis Sanheim, and Nikita Grebenkin are on the other. Couturier, despite being a net-front presence on Thursday and consistently screening the goalie — something Tocchet has preached this season — is not on a unit. “He’s played a lot of power play this year, and I think he’s just getting overused,” Tocchet said. “It doesn’t matter who, you’ve got to get in front of the net.”

  • Scott Laughton scores in his return to Philly as the Maple Leafs beat the Flyers, 2-1, in overtime

    Scott Laughton scores in his return to Philly as the Maple Leafs beat the Flyers, 2-1, in overtime

    It was another sellout at Xfinity Mobile Arena, the building’s third straight, and the Flyers welcomed back another former member of the organization in Scott Laughton.

    But the emotions and vibes weren’t nearly as high, and in the end, the Flyers lost 2-1 in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Easton Cowan scored the game-winner in overtime off a spin-around pass from John Tavares.

    The Flyers’ loss snapped a two-game winning streak but extended their point streak to three games.

    Laughton, playing in his first game as a visitor to Philly in his NHL career, tied the game 1-1 with 5 minutes, 56 seconds left in regulation.

    Noah Juulsen is the next man up for the banged-up Flyers; Scott Laughton returns ‘home’ to Philly

    Travis Sanheim shot the puck wide during a Flyers power play, and Laughton scooped up the puck before heading up the ice. He used his ex-teammate, Rasmus Ristolainen, as a screen before executing a pull-and-shoot shot past Dan Vladař.

    It was Laughton’s fifth goal with Toronto and second while short-handed. He scored 10 short-handed goals as a member of the Orange and Black.

    Travis Konecny did not come out for the third period after suffering an upper-body injury.

    Coach Rick Tocchet said he did not have an update after the game, but said, “Something was bugging him, I guess, early on. I think he fell or something. I don’t know [all of] the whole details.”

    But the forward and alternate captain had already left his mark in the game, giving the Flyers a 1-0 lead 55 seconds into the second period.

    Maple Leafs center Scott Laughton, a longtime Flyer, waves to fans after a video tribute to him Thursday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    The Flyers broke out of their own end after Sanheim stopped Leafs forward Calle Järnkrok in the Flyers’ end. Konecny scooped up the puck and fed Ristolainen, who dumped the puck in from the neutral zone.

    Sanheim had taken off after breaking up the rush and was the first on the puck as it rang around in the Leafs’ zone. He tipped it to Christian Dvorak as he provided puck support along the boards, and the newly extended centerman carried the puck back down to the bottom of the left circle.

    Konecny glided through the Leafs’ zone untouched and unnoticed into the left circle. He got the pass from Dvorak and sent the puck past the blocker of Toronto goalie Dennis Hildeby.

    The goal was Konecny’s 14th of the year and 212th of his career, moving him past Sean Couturier for 14th in the Flyers’ record book. He is also now tied with Reggie Leach for 15th in points (514).

    ‘Always going to be home for me’: Scott Laughton reflects on his life and legacy with the Flyers

    Philly had its chances to extend the lead but couldn’t find the back of the net. In the third period, they had their best chance when Toronto’s Matthew Knies was called for slashing Denver Barkey, and 1:08 later, Troy Stecher tripped Owen Tippett.

    The Flyers had 11 shot attempts, including a Tippett wraparound attempt that missed and popped out, and Dvorak tried to bang it in. Trevor Zegras thought the puck crossed the line and, although it was reviewed, the NHL’s Situation Room said the video “supported the referees’ call on the ice that the puck did not cross the Toronto goal line.”

    The Flyers also had several attempts in overtime as the puck bounced around, with Matvei Michkov and Couturier around the net, but they couldn’t get it cleanly on goal before Cowan scored.

    Breakaways

    Forward Bobby Brink and defenseman Jamie Drysdale did not play after getting injured in Tuesday’s win against the Anaheim Ducks, each with an upper-body injury. Matvei Michkov returned to the lineup after missing that game with a lower-body injury. Noah Juulsen took Drysdale’s place in the lineup. … Sanheim played in his 621st NHL game, surpassing Ed Van Impe for fourth place on the Flyers’ all-time games played list among defensemen.

    Up next

    The Flyers begin a two-game set against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday (7 p.m., NBCSP).

  • Flyers hold off the Chicago Blackhawks for a 3-1 road win heading into NHL’s holiday break

    Flyers hold off the Chicago Blackhawks for a 3-1 road win heading into NHL’s holiday break

    CHICAGO ― It’s 760 miles to Chicago from Philly. Despite playing Monday night, the Flyers had a full tank. It was dark, and by the end, they were wearing sunglasses because things are looking bright.

    The Flyers defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1, giving them a two-game winning streak heading into the NHL’s holiday break. It is the Flyers’ third win in five games and fifth in December.

    And they now sit two points back of the Metropolitan Division’s top team, the Carolina Hurricanes. Add in that they have the sixth-best points percentage in the NHL (.625), and things are looking good 36 games in.

    But the win may have come with a cost. Forward Denver Barkey did not return for the third period. He was called for boarding and was hit hard in the ensuing scrum behind the Blackhawks’ net. According to coach Rick Tocchet, “He got hit from behind on that penalty. Just get reevaluated from the doctors.”

    Garnet Hathaway knows he has struggled this season. But he’s working to get back to his impactful self

    Defenseman Travis Sanheim, the Flyers’ top minute muncher, was clipped by Alex Vlasic in the third period. Per Tocchet, he did not play the final 12 minutes, 33 seconds, as he was pulled by the NHL’s concussion spotters. “I think he’s fine, though,” Tocchet said.

    Travis Konecny gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead with, fittingly, his 11th goal of the season 10:17 into the first period.

    After the Flyers killed off a tripping penalty on Trevor Zegras, he stayed on the ice, and Konency tried to find him as Zegras tried to get open near the right post. Zegras was covered by Blackhawks defenseman Wyatt Kaiser so it didn’t connect, but he stayed with it and picked up the puck behind the net.

    Skating untouched, Zegras carried the puck around the net and curled before finding Konecny. The alternate captain evaded detection before cutting to the net to receive the pass.

    Zegras has 13 points in 12 games in December and 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 36 games this season. The New York native is riding a career-high nine-game point streak, with five goals and six assists.

    Konecny wasn’t done collecting points, and in the second period, he helped the Flyers double their total with a power-play goal off Noah Cates’ stick.

    Handed a gift when the Blackhawks got called for too many men in the second period, the Flyers’ five-man unit of Konecny, Zegras, Cates, Bobby Brink, and Jamie Drysdale hopped onto the ice after the other unit got a chance. Set up in the offensive zone, they worked it around the perimeter, going from Zegras on the right flank to Brink at the point to Drysdale on the left flank.

    Konecny, with Drysdale in his spot, glided down to the left post and received the puck from his defenseman. The forward turned his back net-front, drawing in Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy, giving him the ability to send a no-look pass under his lifted right leg to Cates in front.

    Despite having Vlasic all over him, Cates banged in the puck for his ninth of the year and second power-play goal of the season. His career high on the man advantage is three, set in 2022-23. Cates is riding a four-game point streak (two goals, two assists) while the assist was the 300th of Konency’s career in 682 games.

    Konecny now has 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 36 games this season. In December, he has six goals and 14 points — spearheaded by four multipoint games — across 12 games.

    Flyers left wing Noah Cates, shown on Dec. 11 against Las Vegas, scored his second power-play goal of the season against the Blackhawks.

    Through two periods, Sam Ersson allowed one goal on 14 shots, with Natural Stat Trick noting that he faced just one high-danger shot. For the most part, he saw the puck well — the goal by Chicago’s Ryan Donato from the high slot during four-on-four action looked like it was screened by up to three members of the Flyers — and played his angles.

    Ersson didn’t face his first shot of the night until 7:57 into the opening frame, making a glove save on Ilya Mikheyev. He later stopped a Murphy slap shot and robbed Donato on a two-on-one that also saw the Boston native try to bury the rebound.

    Flyers Q&A: Brent Flahr talks Denver Barkey, Alex Bump, Jack Berglund, and the 2026 NHL draft

    In the second period, the Swedish netminder moved well to make a save on a Matt Grzelcyk point shot with Oliver Moore standing in front. He stopped Donato from the right circle and then again when he went to the front of the net and tipped a shot.

    And in the third period, with the Flyers up by one, he made a nifty glove save on a wide-open shot by Louis Crevier. Ersson made 20 saves on 21 shots for his best save percentage (.952) of the season. He snapped a four-game losing streak — losing two in a shootout — to earn his sixth win of the season.

    Breakaways

    Carl Grundström scored an empty-netter to seal the win. … Defenseman Noah Juulsen and forwards Nic Deslauriers and Garnet Hathaway were healthy scratches. … Drysdale has two points on the power play this season, coming in the past three games.

    Up next

    After the NHL’s three-day holiday break, the Flyers return to the ice on Saturday for a practice in Seattle before taking on the Kraken on Sunday (8 p.m., NBCSP, NHLN).

  • Travis Konecny reaches career milestone in Flyers’ 4-1 win over San Jose Sharks

    Travis Konecny reaches career milestone in Flyers’ 4-1 win over San Jose Sharks

    There’s something to be said for a team that stops the bleeding.

    After losing two straight back in mid-November, the Flyers ended another losing streak at one game with a 4-1 win against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. Since those consecutive losses to the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers, the Flyers have gone 8-4-0.

    The Flyers came out like it was a feeding frenzy at Xfinity Mobile Arena, putting 11 shots on San Jose goalie Alex Nedeljkovic before the Sharks got their first one more than 11 minutes into the game. The only problem? Their first shot was also a goal.

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    San Jose broke out of its own end on a stretch pass by Dmitry Orlov to Macklin Celebrini at center ice. The No. 1 pick in 2024 sent a backhander into the Flyers’ end, and Will Smith, who was drafted three spots before Matvei Michkov in 2023, blew past the Flyers’ defense.

    He tracked down the puck along the end boards, carried it around, and sent a cross-ice pass from the top of the left faceoff circle to defenseman John Klingberg. That pass pulled Flyers goalie Dan Vladař out of position, and the defenseman sent it to Collin Graf atop the crease for the goal.

    It was the 19th time in 28 games the Flyers have trailed 1-0. But it was also the 11th time they’ve come back and won to lead the NHL. They also have a league-leading 12 comeback wins.

    Flyers’ Matvei Michkov (right) shoots on goal against San Jose Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic during the first period on Tuesday.

    Christian Dvorak evened the score with 81 seconds left in the first period with a nifty backhand-forehand move around Nedeljkovic. Travis Konecny sent a backhand pass up in the air from the Flyers’ end.

    The puck hit Trevor Zegras in the shoulder in the neutral zone, and Dvorak got behind Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson to score his seventh goal of the season.

    The secondary assist was the 500th point (205 goals, 295 assists) in 674 games for Konecny, who became the 17th player in Flyers history to hit the mark. He added his eighth goal of the season with an empty-netter late in the third period.

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    Then the fourth line finally got a goal. Skating against the team that traded him to the Flyers, Carl Grundstöm got some revenge in the second period.

    Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler sent the puck on goal from the left point, and Grundstöm, in just his second game as a Flyer, deflected the puck as he trailed his stick behind him.

    With 12 seconds left in the middle frame, Noah Cates added some insurance. Bobby Brink carried the puck down the right wing and sent it over to Cates at the top of the left circle for the catch-and-shoot goal. It gave him seven goals on the season.

    Vladař didn’t face a ton of shots — he stopped 17 — but made the big saves when needed.

    Not long after Dvorak tied things up, the Czech netminder stopped Smith on a breakaway. Then, up by a goal, he snared a wicked Celebrini wrist shot as he skated down during a Sharks power play. He stopped Ty Dellandrea all alone in front late in the second and robbed him again in the third period from point-blank range in front of the net.

    Flyers coach Rick Tocchet watches his team on Tuesday night.

    Breakaways

    Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov was sick and did not suit up. Justin Kowalkoski, a 39-year-old emergency backup goalie for the Sharks, signed an amateur tryout agreement with the team. He participated in warmups and sat on the bench in case Nedeljkovic had to leave the game. Kowalkoski played college hockey for Colgate University and previously served as a backup in 2018-19 for the Detroit Red Wings. Daniel Spencer, who rotates with Kowalkoski as the EBUG, was in goal for the Sharks’ morning skate. … Defenseman Ty Murchison made his NHL debut and did not look out of place skating on the third pair with Noah Juulsen. He saw ample time on the penalty kill and played almost 15 minutes with family and friends in attendance. … Michkov, who turned 21 on Tuesday, missed the first few minutes of the second period. According to coach Rick Tocchet postgame, “he had to get some stuff taken care of.”

    Up next

    The Flyers host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN).

  • Five Flyers score, including 3 goals in 59 seconds, in 5-2 win vs. the Sabres

    Five Flyers score, including 3 goals in 59 seconds, in 5-2 win vs. the Sabres

    With leading scorer Tyson Foerster out 2-3 months after getting injured in Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, there were questions about how the Flyers would find offense.

    The answer? Easily.

    The Flyers beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 for their fourth win in the past five games. Since losing two straight in mid-November to the Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers, they have gone 7-3-0 and have not lost two in a row since.

    They did lose defenseman Cam York late in the second period. After Trevor Zegras was boarded by Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin in the offensive zone, York was involved in a scrum. He did not return and coach Rick Tocchet said postgame he thought it was an upper-body injury.

    “I think he got hit behind the net, or something,” Tocchet said. “We were trying to look for it. But I think he got hit behind the net a little bit late or something. I haven’t talked to the doctors.”

    Dahlin was assessed a five-minute major and was ejected from the game, but the Flyers did not score on the power play.

    Rick Tocchet jumbles up his forward lines in the wake of Tyson Foerster’s injury

    But they had already scored a pair with the man advantage. It came in the first period when the Flyers scored a trio of goals after — no surprise here — trailing 1-0.

    Travis Konecny scored on the power play to tie the game 1-1 while on the ice with the revamped unit of Zegras, Travis Sanheim, Owen Tippett, and Matvei Michkov. Konecny got the puck along the boards and carried it above the left faceoff circle and toward the middle before putting the puck past the blocker of Sabres goalie Colten Ellis for his sixth goal of the season.

    The Sabres challenged the call with Tippett in front, but the video review confirmed that there was no interference before the goal. Because of the failed challenge, the Flyers went right back on the power play.

    Flyers goaltender Sam Ersson makes a save on a shot from Sabres’ Josh Doan in the first period.

    Zegras scored his 10th goal of the season on the ensuing man advantage. It tied him with Foerster for the team lead.

    The Flyers moved the puck around the outside well. Konecny skated down the left boards before sending the puck back to Sanheim to open space. The defenseman saw Zegras with his stick up in the air, awaiting the pass above the right circle. After receiving it, he put the puck toward the net, and it ended up going off the skate of Buffalo’s Ryan McLeod to give the Flyers the lead 38 seconds after tying the game.

    Zegras said postgame he was actually looking to get the puck to Konecny across the ice.

    Twenty-one seconds later, it was 3-1. After putting the follow line of Noah Cates, Bobby Brink, and Nikita Grebenkin — who was promoted to the top nine after the Foerster injury — on the ice, the trio connected.

    Grebenkin deflected a pass intended for Tage Thomson and collected the puck inside the blue line before feeding Brink, who dropped it to Cates. The center put the puck on goal, and Brink cleaned up the rebound for his seventh goal of the season. It gave the Flyers three goals in 59 seconds.

    In the second period, it was Brink who fed Cates for the goal seconds after a Flyers power play ended. Jamie Drysdale got the loose puck and carried it to the middle of the ice before dishing to Brink atop the right circle. He carried it down and set up Cates for a redirect and his sixth of the season.

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    Later in the period, Tippett made it 5-1 with his third goal in three games. Emil Andrae kept the puck in at the blue line and sent it down the boards to Sean Couturier, who sent a no-look pass to Michkov. The Russian winger then did the same to Tippett with Mattias Samuelsson, the son of former Flyers defenseman Kjell Samuelsson, on him.

    Tippett went backhand to forehand and had his initial shot go off Ellis’ shoulder. But the Flyers forward stuck with it and battled the puck out of midair for his ninth of the season.

    Tocchet didn’t like the first goal the Flyers gave up. After Monday’s game, he chastised the penalty kill, citing that he didn’t like the structure; he prefers an aggressive diamond and hates the box. Well, the goal by Sabres forward Jason Zucker was because the penalty kill fell into the box and he was able to score in front off a pass from Josh Doan.

    Buffalo’s second goal of the night, which made it 4-2, came off the stick of Bowen Byram. On a bouncing puck, the defenseman fired the puck past Flyers goalie Sam Ersson.

    Breakaways

    The Flyers now have 11 comeback wins and are 10-6-2 after trailing first. Both lead the NHL. … Ersson made 27 saves, and the Flyers put 35 shots on goal. The Flyers’ goalie is now 5-2-2 on the season. … Forward Carl Grundström, who was recalled from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Tuesday, and defenseman Noah Juulsen were the healthy scratches. … The Flyers challenged a goal by the Sabres in the third period, and it was determined that Buffalo was offside.

    Up next

    The Flyers have a few days between games, but next face the NHL’s top team, the Colorado Avalanche, on Sunday (1 p.m., NBCSP). How good are the Avalanche? They’ve lost once in regulation this season.

  • Travis Konecny is playing with ‘more conviction,’ according to Rick Tocchet. Are the goals about to come?

    Travis Konecny is playing with ‘more conviction,’ according to Rick Tocchet. Are the goals about to come?

    It’s been almost a month since Travis Konecny stood outside the Flyers locker room in Nashville and was asked where he thought his game was.

    Although he had 10 points (four goals, six assists) and was plus-2 in the first 13 games, he still felt his game was coming. “I know that I haven’t had my best stuff yet this year,” he said.

    In the last 11 games, he has nine points (one goal, eight assists), but his 17-goal, 65-point pace is well below the 29 goals he has averaged over the last three seasons and his career high of 76 points set last season.

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    But the end of the season is a long way off, and his track record of leading the Flyers in scoring for five of the last six seasons, including the last four, hints that the best is yet to come.

    “I still feel like there’s more for me to give,” he said, sitting in the Flyers locker room at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Monday. “I feel like there’s parts that have gotten better. I’m trying to find myself in more shooting areas, but I also know playing with [Noah Cates] and [Tyson Foerster], me and Cater are two guys that love being on the hunt, you know, digging and finding pucks.

    “And Foery’s going to be more of our trigger guy — and I think everyone would rather that,” he said with a chuckle. “He’s got such a good shot, so trying to balance that out, but also put myself in some shooting opportunity spots, maybe get to the net a little bit more.

    “But I mean, overall good. Our team’s playing well, our line’s playing good, and just keep building off little things like that, and everything will fall into place.”

    It does feel like his game is coming a little more lately. He scored the game-winner in a shootout against the New York Islanders on Friday and notched two assists Saturday in the win against the New Jersey Devils.

    Flyers right wing Travis Konecny says he wants to find himself in more shooting opportunities.

    Many noted it was probably his best game of the year as he was active across all zones and made several heads-up plays. One assist was on a two-on-one with Matvei Michkov, who had just come out of the penalty box. The other was a shot by Konecny that beat Jacob Markström but was later changed to a Michkov goal as it went off the winger in front.

    Konecny, 28, has bounced around a little bit this season. After starting the season alongside Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett, he was moved to a line with Sean Couturier and Michkov, his linemates at the end of last season. The line played well, but Konecny had only two goals and 13 assists in the 25 games after the 4 Nations Face-Off.

    But now he’s back with Cates, with whom he played consistently in 2022-23 during Cates’ first full season, and Foerster.

    According to Natural Stat Trick, they may trail in chances for (60-84) but have outscored the opposition by 5-0 in the 73 minutes, 34 seconds they’ve played together across the season. Pretty sure everyone prefers the latter.

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    “His game’s starting to come, less turnovers, he’s making more solid decisions,” coach Rick Tocchet said of Konecny. “There’s times when he’s taking the puck to the hole and shooting it, where before you take it, he’s looking to pass.”

    “So I’m seeing a lot more conviction in the game, where I’m going to play inside and things like that, instead of playing outside. And he’s a pest out there too, that’s when he’s at his best.”

    While Konecny will say that the Flyers get amped for every game, there may be a little more oomph for him Monday against the Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m., NBCSP). In 34 career games against the Keystone State rivals, Konecny has 13 goals and 29 points. He scored in the Flyers’ 3-2 shootout win against the Penguins in October and was named the first star of the game.

    Breakaways

    Dan Vladař will start in net Monday for the Flyers. Sam Ersson was in goal for the win in October. … Tocchet said that while the forwards would be the same, he wasn’t sure whether Egor Zamula or Noah Juulsen would be the sixth defenseman. … Flyers prospect Shane Vansaghi was named to USA Hockey’s preliminary roster for World Juniors. The tournament will be played in Minnesota beginning on Dec. 26. … Defenseman Adam Ginning cleared waivers Monday and has been assigned to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. … Beginning Monday night, fans can bring new unwrapped toys to every home game in December. The toys will be donated to the Salvation Army.

  • Flyers’ Travis Konecny happy to get on the board and put an end to the ‘snakebit’ questions

    Flyers’ Travis Konecny happy to get on the board and put an end to the ‘snakebit’ questions

    Still in his gear after a lengthy practice on Tuesday, Travis Konecny was asked about the mighty yell he let out after punching in his first goal of the season in the Flyers’ 5-2 win against the Seattle Kraken the night before.

    “Yeah, I mean, now I don’t have to hear about being snakebit again,” he said, eliciting a laugh as he seemed to poke fun at a question he was asked after Thursday night’s 5-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. “No, I mean, it was a big goal during the game. It wasn’t anything special about that one. It was just a big time in the game.”

    Konecny has led the Flyers in scoring for five of the past six seasons, including the last four, but after putting up consecutive campaigns of 31 and 33 goals, Konecny slipped to 24 last season — and only three of those came over the final 35 games. He entered this season knowing he had to be more consistent across the 82-game slate, but despite not scoring through the first five games, he was contributing in other facets.

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    “I think sometimes when you’re looking for offense, you’re trying too hard, you almost want to do too many plays,” said his centerman, Sean Couturier. “And I’ve seen over the last two games a little more simplicity in his game, where he’s just making the easy pass and getting open, using his speed to go to the net and cycling.”

    The 5-foot-10, 192-pound Konecny is throwing big checks, too. While Garnet Hathaway leads the Flyers with 24 hits, Konecny is fifth with nine — six of which have come in the past two games.

    On Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, he had three of his four hits in the second period. One of them generated a roar from the crowd and seemed to spark the Flyers, who trailed by a goal before winning, 2-1, in overtime.

    After the Noah Cates line had trouble getting out of its end, Konecny finally came on for a change. The Flyers worked the puck out from Couturier to Bobby Brink to Konecny. The two-time All-Star dumped it in and chased — crushing the 6-foot-2, 196-pound Jonas Brodin to the ground at the end boards.

    Flyers right wing Travis Konecny is seeking a third 30-goal season.

    Did it carry into Monday night?

    “A little bit, yeah, for sure,” he said. “I mean, sometimes when I’m in that mood, it’s something that helps the team, but in the moment, some of it’s just for me, getting some anger out. And I think that in some ways that helps the team.

    “But, yeah, that specific time I remember there was one that was meant for the team and one that was for me.”

    Despite not burying the puck until Monday — which gave him 199 goals in 652 regular-season games — Konecny still was playing a key role for the Flyers. He’s had those big hits, dished out two assists, and is big reason why the penalty kill is tied for 10th in the NHL (83.3%). According to Natural Stat Trick, at five-on-five, the Flyers have scored four goals while giving up just two when he is on the ice.

    “Well, right now, I think he was looking for a little bit for his game offensively, but I think he was, in our zone, he was really in the right positions, being on the D side and winning battles down low, helping me out a lot as a centerman,” Couturier said. “So I think when you’re not on your offensive game, and you find ways to help the team in other ways, that’s what you mean by taking care of details.”

    And then he stood up for Owen Tippett. Late in the third period of a game that was out of reach for the visitors, Tippett was drilled from behind by Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren. Konecny went after him, dropping the gloves.

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    “I saw him keep going at Tipp, and he’s our hottest guy,” Konecny said of his teammate, who has five goals in the first six games. “It was just one of those things where I was just kind of in my head, like, ‘What are you doing?’ And then he tried to jump me.”

    What did the captain Couturier say to Konecny afterward?

    “Great job, way to go,” he said.

    So, any history between the Flyers winger and former New York Rangers defenseman?

    “There is now,” Konecny said with a smile.

    Breakaways

    The Flyers are off on Wednesday before taking on the Senators in Ottawa on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP). … Submit entries for Around the Rinks, which highlights the local ice, ball, and inline hockey scenes, Thursdays online and Fridays in the paper, by noon every Thursday with Around the Rinks in the subject line to jspiegel@inquirer.com. Entries can include information about your league, big moments on the ice, upcoming rivalry games, favorite players, and more.