Flyers get after one of NHL’s hottest teams for 3rd straight win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Flyers played one of their most complete games of the season to pick up a 4-1 win Thursday night over the Coyotes at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona.
Travis Konecny was all over the ice and finished with two goals, giving him 14 on the season.
Joel Farabee and Cam York also scored for the Flyers (14-10-2), who won their third straight and emphatically cooled off the Coyotes. Arizona had ripped off five straight victories by a combined score of 19-5 before the Flyers visited.
John Tortorella’s club has recorded at least a point in five of its last six games (4-1-1).
The Flyers see the Coyotes (13-10-2) again Feb. 12 at the Wells Fargo Center.
• Give credit to Tortorella, he wanted Konecny to start killing penalties last season and the decision has paid off beautifully.
Konecny put the Flyers in control at 3-1 with a shorthanded goal early in the second period. The club’s PK continued to hum, going 3 for 3 and improving to 38 for 40 in the last 12 games (95 percent).
With six shorthanded markers over the last two seasons, Konecny is in a three-way tie for the NHL’s most, joining J.T. Miller and Chris Kreider.
• Carter Hart surrendered just one goal for a second straight start. He finished with 25 saves.
The 25-year-old has surrendered three or fewer goals in 13 of his 15 decisions.
Arizona netminder Connor Ingram stopped 22 of the Flyers’ 26 shots.
The 26-year-old entered with a 2.23 goals-against average and .930 save percentage.
• For the first time since Nov. 18, the Flyers held a lead at first intermission, ending a span of eight games without one.
Konecny snuck a shot past Ingram directly off a draw won by Sean Couturier. Farabee extended the Flyers’ lead to 2-0 when Cam Atkinson found him at Ingram’s doorstep.
Lawson Crouse scored two seconds after a Coyotes power play expired to cut the Flyers’ lead to 2-1 at first intermission.
But the Flyers showed why they haven’t lost much after scoring first. They improved to 11-1-0 when they net the game-opening goal. They can play that aggressive, risk-taking style much better with a lead.
• The Flyers’ top defensive pair of York and Travis Sanheim was excellent.
York’s goal was icing on the cake for the Flyers. The 22-year-old made a nifty move around Jason Zucker and buried a shot early in the third period.
He finished with two points and a plus-2 rating.
Sanheim had an assist and a plus-3 mark. The Flyers want to lessen the load on his shoulders. He came in leading the NHL with 26:01 minutes per game. The Flyers were able to keep him at 19:15 minutes Thursday night.
The Flyers blocked 23 shots and nine different players registered at least a point. Just a very good, all-around effort.
• Egor Zamula was back in the lineup for the veteran Marc Staal. The 23-year-old defenseman had been a healthy scratch for four of the past six games.
The Flyers relied on him for 19:03 minutes, his second most of the season. He had a few shots and blocked two.
• Olle Lycksell was called up Wednesday from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley to give the Flyers an extra forward for their three-game road trip. He drew into the lineup for Ryan Poehling, who was out because of an illness.
Lycksell played 6:11 minutes in his season debut. The 24-year-old forward has led the Phantoms in goals (12) and points (19) through 21 games.
• The trip continues Saturday as the Flyers head to Denver for a matchup against the Avalanche (9 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
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