Flyers move to 3-0-0 after All-Star break with win over Kraken originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
John Tortorella is eager to see how his team will handle a playoff race.
So far, so good.
The Flyers picked up a 3-2 win Saturday night over the Kraken at the Wells Fargo Center.
Coming out of the bye week and All-Star break, the Flyers (28-19-6) have won three straight, a streak in which they’ve outscored opponents 9-4.
Tortorella’s club did a little bit of everything offensively Saturday night, scoring at even strength, on the power play and on the penalty kill. Nine different players recorded a point.
Sean Couturier delivered the game-winner, Ryan Poehling scored the club’s league-leading 12th shorthanded goal of the season and Scott Laughton netted the game-opening marker on the man advantage.
With 29 games to go, the Flyers are four wins away from surpassing last season’s total (31-38-13).
Tortorella wasn’t happy with the Flyers’ final two periods in a 4-1 win Thursday over the Jets.
The head coach was confident his players would respond.
“I haven’t spoken one word to them about the game, haven’t shown them one clip of the game,” he said Saturday at morning skate. “We trust them. We know how they felt about it even during the game.”
This time, they kept their foot on the gas. The Flyers are 2-0-0 on their three-game homestand and have yet to trail.
They split their two-game regular-season series with the Kraken (21-20-10). Back in late December, the Flyers suffered a 2-1 overtime loss to Seattle at Climate Pledge Arena.
• Cal Petersen made his first start in 91 days and did his job, recording 17 saves.
The Kraken tied the game at 2-2 only 35 seconds into the third period when Jared McCann’s shot went off of Couturier’s stick.
But Couturier got it back a little under five minutes later with a redirection.
Seattle netminder Joey Daccord stopped 35 of the Flyers’ 38 shots.
• For first time this season, the Flyers came out on the losing end of their coach’s challenge.
They dropped to 4 for 5 after the Kraken’s game-tying goal in the first period was upheld. A lengthy review did not determine the play was offside, which penalized the Flyers.
But Poehling picked up the Flyers’ coaches when he struck again on the penalty kill. He scored his third shorthanded goal of the season and second in the last two games to hand the Flyers a 2-1 lead at first intermission.
The 25-year-old center is making his two-year contract extension look like good business. The Flyers’ penalty kill and bottom six have benefited from his speed and length.
• After being benched for the third period Thursday, finishing with just 10:31 minutes, Cam Atkinson had a couple of shots and a blocked shot in 15:16 minutes against Seattle.
“The last game obviously wasn’t my best,” Atkinson said Saturday after morning skate. “Just get back to playing with energy, confidence, shooting the puck and getting myself to those dirty areas where I score all my goals. A work in progress right now.”
• Tortorella went with the traditional 12 forwards and six defensemen. He made Egor Zamula a healthy scratch.
“He has leveled off 5-on-5 and I want him to watch a game,” Tortorella said at morning skate.
Rasmus Ristolainen returned on the back end after missing Thursday’s game because of an illness. Up front, Nicolas Deslauriers drew into the lineup.
Along with Zamula, Marc Staal and Olle Lycksell were extras.
• The Flyers wrap up their homestand Monday when they host the Coyotes (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
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