Flyers win 5 straight for first time since 2019-20 season

Flyers win 5 straight for first time since 2019-20 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

John Tortorella said the Flyers wouldn’t forget about winning in their rebuilding process.

“Because you’re not teaching your young players the right way to play if you’re not trying to win,” the head coach said Friday.

Well, the Flyers have tried to win and they’ve ripped off five straight victories in doing so, the latest a 5-2 decision Sunday night over the Blue Jackets at the Wells Fargo Center.

A day after beating the defending champion Golden Knights, 4-3, in overtime, the Flyers did a little bit of everything against Columbus. They scored three goals at even strength, one on the power play and the other at shorthanded.

Ryan Poehling (one goal, two assists), Joel Farabee (one goal, one assist), Cam York (one goal, one assist) and Sean Walker (two assists) all had multi-point performances.

Travis Konecny delivered the dagger in the third period with his 11th goal of the season. York finished the scoring with an empty-netter.

The Flyers (10-7-1) have outscored opponents 22-11 in their five-game run and have yet to trail.

“I think we struggled managing some games early,” Tortorella said. “The way I look at it, I guess, as a coach, you say to yourself, ‘Well, maybe they did learn their lessons.’ It’s not like we’re drawing things up on how to manage games. It’s a mindset when you’re in those momentum swings during a game. It’s not something you can call a timeout and draw up. So hopefully they’re feeling more and more comfortable being in them and trying to get on the right side.”

This streak is the first time the Flyers have won five or more games in a row since the 2019-20 season, the last time they made the playoffs.

“All I’m trying to do with the coaching staff and the club is just try to be consistent every day,” Tortorella said. “And I think things take care of themselves. Just a couple weeks ago, we were struggling, found ways to lose games. Now we’re finding ways to win games. In a long season, it’s the ebbs and flows, it’s how you handle those things. I’m happy for them.”

In his return to Philadelphia, Ivan Provorov finished with an assist and a plus-1 rating for the Blue Jackets (4-11-4).

Columbus has lost nine straight, with six of the losses coming by one goal.

• Farabee, Poehling and Bobby Brink, all on a line together, gave the Flyers a youthful night Sunday.

The 23-year-old Farabee opened the game’s scoring with a nice backhanded shot in the first period. The Flyers improved to 10-1-0 in games that they score first.

The 24-year-old Poehling continued to produce in more of an offensive role. His goal on the penalty kill cushioned the Flyers’ lead to 3-1 in the second period.

“I think Torts is always going to be honest with you, right?” Poehling said. “I appreciate that, so even when I was getting scratched, he told me to just hang in there. Having his trust like that and producing the way I have been, it has been good.”

The 22-year-old York had a big night, as well, on the back end.

• Brink rewarded Tortorella for deciding to put the 22-year-old back in the lineup.

After three straight healthy scratches, Brink handed the Flyers a 2-1 lead just 1:11 minutes into the second period. He fired home a power play goal, giving him nine points (four goals, five assists) through 14 games this season.

“I have to get Bobby in, but I have to find a better time than when I think about the team,” Tortorella said Friday after practice.

In calling Brink’s number, Tortorella made Morgan Frost a healthy scratch. It had to be a tough one for Frost to stomach. He had four points (two goals, two assists) and a plus-3 rating in four games back from his previous healthy scratch. Despite going scoreless Saturday, the 24-year-old center blocked four shots in the Flyers’ win.

So far this season, Frost has played 10 games and has sat for eight.

• Samuel Ersson picked up his second consecutive win by making 20 saves.

“For me, getting a couple of wins here is giving me more confidence in my game and how I play,” the 24-year-old said.

Alexandre Texier tied the game in the first period before Brink quickly regained the Flyers the lead in the middle stanza.

Boone Jenner’s goal came with 2:03 minutes left in the second period. There was a ton of chaos in front of the net.

Blue Jackets backup Spencer Martin stopped 21 of the Flyers’ 25 shots.

• The Flyers’ power play went 3 for 8 over the weekend after coming in 4 for 53 on the season.

• After playing seven seasons in Philadelphia, Provorov returned to the Wells Fargo Center for the first time as a visitor.

With the Flyers, Provorov played in 532 of a possible 535 games. He had high expectations bestowed upon him as a 19-year-old rookie after being drafted seventh overall in 2015. As the Flyers stumbled into a rebuild over the last three seasons, Provorov became the first trade of Danny Briere’s offseason work this summer.

“When you get drafted and you spend a long time with a team, you don’t really picture yourself playing with anybody else, especially if you take your stuff serious and all of that,” the 26-year-old defenseman said before Sunday’s game. “But obviously the last few years haven’t gone the way everyone wanted it to, so at the same time, it was disappointing. But on the other hand, it was exciting to have a new team that is excited to have you and excited to give you the opportunity to show who you are as a player.”

Provorov’s assist on Jenner’s goal cut the Flyers’ lead to 3-2 at second intermission.

• Despite being cleared to return Friday from an upper-body injury, veteran defenseman Marc Staal remained out of the lineup for the weekend.

• The Flyers are scheduled to practice Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET in Voorhees, New Jersey before visiting the Islanders on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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