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Tag: Travis Konecny

  • 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.