Flyers can’t pull off another comeback, but can take positives from first loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
There was no comeback victory from two goals down this time.
The Flyers are no longer unbeaten after suffering a 4-3 loss Wednesday night to the Panthers at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
In another 2-0 hole, John Tortorella’s club managed to tie the game at 2-2 but couldn’t complete the rally. The Flyers overcame 2-0 deficits in their previous two games as they got off to a 3-0-0 start for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
They’re now 3-1-0. The last time the franchise went 4-0-0 to open the year was 1995-96.
Nick Seeler, James van Riemsdyk and Travis Konecny netted the Flyers’ goals against the Panthers.
Florida snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period with a goal from Rudolfs Balcers before Josh Mahura provided insurance.
Konecny’s marker came with two seconds left and the Flyers’ net emptied.
In their home opener, the Panthers (3-1-0) were without defensemen Aaron Ekblad (lower body) and Brandon Montour (upper body).
• Felix Sandstrom made his first start of the season and gave the Flyers a great chance with a superb second period.
Before van Riemsdyk knotted things up at 2-2 with a power play goal, the Flyers could have been down 5-1. Sandstrom made three outstanding saves to keep the Flyers in the game during the middle stanza.
He turned away Matthew Tkachuk on a shorthanded breakaway 57 seconds into the period.
Not long after, he stretched across his crease to deny Carter Verhaeghe in close.
With just over seven minutes left in the frame, Sandstrom stopped Sam Reinhart on a Florida power play.
The 25-year-old Swede also made a highlight-reel split save in the first period moments before Verhaeghe scored his second goal of the game to put the Flyers down 2-0.
Balcers got behind the Flyers’ third defensive pair of Seeler and Egor Zamula before making a nice move to beat Sandstrom in close. Mahura’s goal was one Sandstrom probably wants back.
Overall, though, solid season debut for Sandstrom, who was recently cleared from a lower-body injury he suffered Oct. 1 during the preseason.
Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who went 3-0-0 against the Flyers last season, stopped 31 of 34 shots.
• Some positives if you’re the Flyers:
They haven’t fallen apart when trailing.
Van Riemsdyk’s tally gave them a power play goal in four straight games to open the season. Last season, their longest stretch of consecutive games with a power play goal was two. They finished the year with an NHL-worst 12.6 power play percentage.
Through four games, Kevin Hayes has six assists and Konecny owns four goals.
Zack MacEwen played well up in the lineup.
• Prior to the game, the Flyers claimed forward Lukas Sedlak off of waivers from the Avalanche.
Cam Atkinson (upper body), Rasmus Ristolainen (lower body) and Owen Tippett (upper body) remained out for the Flyers.
• The Flyers finish their three-game road trip Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee against the Predators (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).
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