Flyers keep the offense coming, beat playoff-hopeful Panthers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
In a way that only he can, John Tortorella said he didn’t give a squat about playing the role of spoiler.
It’s about his team and building for the future.
Well, the Flyers did a little bit of both Tuesday night. They played some spoiler and saw positives in their rebuild as they beat the Panthers, 6-3, at the Wells Fargo Center.
“We’re beginning to build a foundation,” Tortorella said after the victory.
Travis Sanheim (two), Joel Farabee, Scott Laughton, Ivan Provorov and Morgan Frost all scored goals for the Flyers (26-32-12).
During a span of just 2:01 minutes late in the second period, the Flyers flipped a 2-2 game into a 5-2 lead.
Frost sealed the win with an empty-netter in the third.
Ten different Flyers recorded at least a point as Tortorella’s club improved to 2-1-1 on its season-long seven-game homestand. The Flyers have scored 4.50 goals per game through the four games. They entered the home swing scoring 2.55 goals per game, 30th in the NHL.
Florida came to Philadelphia clinging to the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot after winning last night in Detroit.
The Flyers saw the Panthers (36-28-7) for the first time since October. They finished 2-1-0 against Florida this season.
• The last time the Flyers faced the Panthers, Carter Hart put up a career-high 48 saves for a 4-3 win in Philadelphia.
This time, he finished with 41 saves. He was very good, especially early with an 18-save first period as the Flyers needed to find their footing.
“Carter — first period, third period — was just terrific,” Tortorella said. “He made some great saves at the end of the game when we decide to just stick handle into the corner instead of ending the game.”
Alex Lyon, who spent five seasons in the Flyers’ organization, mostly with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, struggled for the Panthers.
The 30-year-old allowed five goals on 23 shots. He was facing the Flyers for the first time in his career.
• In the first game of the Flyers’ homestand, Sanheim scored his first goal of 2023. The marker came on a fluky bounce, but it was the byproduct of the defenseman being aggressive offensively.
Prior to that goal, Sanheim had just two points (both assists) over his previous 30 games.
The Flyers believe there’s too much potential there for Sanheim to not create offense more often.
“It hasn’t come to the forefront consistently enough, but we think we can get this turned around,” Tortorella said last Friday. “When it happens, I can’t forecast that. We’re going to keep on trying.
“Good guy, very coachable, all the stuff. It’s not a stubborn guy. It just has not gone the way we would and he would like this year.”
With his two-goal game Tuesday night, Sanheim has 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) through 69 games.
It had to boost his confidence.
“I’m getting there,” Sanheim said. “Obviously that’s a big part of my game, is contributing and joining offensively. In the past, I’ve been getting goals like I got tonight — right around the net. So that’s something that I want to continue. Hopefully the last stretch here I can put together some good games.”
• Egor Zamula made an immediate impact in his first game with the big club since Dec. 1.
The 22-year-old prospect picked up a secondary assist with a nice touch pass on Farabee’s 1-1 game-tying goal in the first period.
The sequence all started with a solid D-to-D pass off the back wall by Zamula to help the Flyers exit the defensive zone.
“He’s long, takes up a lot of space,” Tortorella said Monday after Zamula was called up. “The thing that caught our eye was his ability to see the ice, it looks like he has the ability to make a play.”
Zamula finished with two assists and a plus-2 rating. Good stuff from him with the Flyers watching closely.
“He held onto [the puck], made a lot of good plays,” Farabee said. “It’s not easy coming up this late in the year. I thought he was one of our best defensemen tonight.”
The Flyers played 11 forwards and seven defensemen as Tanner Laczynski was healthy scratched.
• Assisting Sanheim’s first goal, Brendan Lemieux picked up his fifth point through six games with the Flyers (two goals, three assists).
The trade acquisition also fought Radko Gudas during the third period. Lemieux was whistled for an instigator.
Prospect Tyson Foerster has five points in his last three games (one goal, four assists).
“You can see his offensive skill,” Tortorella said, “but the other parts of the game, it has been impressive.”
• Sean Couturier (back) and Travis Konecny (upper body) practiced Monday in non-contact fashion.
Konecny took part in the club’s optional morning skate Tuesday.
• The homestand continues Thursday when the Flyers host the Wild (6:30 p.m. ET/ESPN).
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