No Konecny in OT, Flyers lose to Bruins after another blown lead originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
For a second straight game, the Flyers relinquished a third-period lead en route to a loss. This time, they fell to the Bruins, 4-3, in overtime Saturday afternoon at TD Garden.
The Flyers had a 3-1 edge at second intermission but couldn’t nail it down. A day after John Tortorella harped on poor situational play costing the Flyers in a 7-5 loss to the Panthers, the Flyers were whistled for three third-period penalties.
One of the three — a tripping call on Garnet Hathaway — was awfully ticky-tacky. Travis Konecny was hit with the first penalty and didn’t see the ice in overtime (more on that below).
Pavel Zacha won the game for Boston after Brad Marchand scored the equalizer with 5:22 minutes left in regulation.
The Flyers’ blown lead and loss spoiled multi-point efforts from Matvei Michkov (two goals) and Travis Sanheim (two assists).
The Flyers (12-11-4) have earned at least a point in 11 of their last 14 games (8-3-3) and 14 of their last 20 (11-6-3). But the last two could have been wins.
Tortorella’s club has gone to overtime in nine of its last 14 games and is 8-2-4 in games decided by one goal.
The Flyers went 1-1-1 against the Bruins (15-11-3) this season. They haven’t taken a regular-season series from Boston since 2019-20, the last time they made the playoffs.
• Konecny’s final shift was six-plus minutes into the third period, when the winger committed an interference penalty. The Flyers’ leading scorer was shown on the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast going up the tunnel. He eventually returned to the bench late in the third period.
Speaking with reporters in Boston, Tortorella said Konecny was forced to exit to be evaluated for a concussion from a prior collision. The league has a spotter at every game. But when Konecny was cleared to return, Tortorella kept him on the bench.
The Flyers just coughed up a lead Thursday because of bad penalties. The head coach just talked about that lesson at length Friday.
He’s going to hold players accountable. Whether fans agree with it or not, that is how Tortorella has always operated.
The bench boss also voiced his frustration with the officiating in the video below.
• Aleksei Kolosov gave the Flyers a very good chance to win, making 27 saves on 31 shots.
Trent Frederic’s first of two goals was on the power play and it trimmed the Flyers’ lead to 2-1 in the second period.
The Flyers’ penalty kill has given up six goals — one an empty-netter — over the last three games. Prior to that, it had allowed just 10 on the season.
After Cam York cushioned the Flyers’ advantage back to two in the second period, Frederic cut it down to one again as the Bruins started their third-period comeback.
The Flyers were outshot 12-6 in the final stanza and really couldn’t do much offensively because of their penalties.
Boston netminder Jeremy Swayman stopped 23 of the Flyers’ 26 shots.
• It looks like the Flyers are being highly careful with Samuel Ersson, who missed an 11th straight game because of a lower-body injury.
“I think they’re doing their job,” Ersson said Thursday. “I trust them, they trust me, I think we had a great dialogue throughout this whole process. I think we’re taking the right steps.”
The team’s No. 1 goalie had his third practice with the Flyers on Friday and is considered day to day.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DDPm8aYxhy-
• Michkov kept rolling.
With his two goals, the 19-year-old winger has seven points (three goals, four assists) in the last three games. He leads all NHL rookies with 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) in 25 games.
Michkov’s first goal came on the power play. He already has 11 points (five goals, six assists) on the man advantage this season. Last season, Morgan Frost was the Flyers’ power play point leader with 11 (three goals, eight assists).
And the Flyers have been pleased with Michkov’s effort away from the puck.
More: How Michkov’s knack for the big moment is ‘an unconscious thing’
• Jamie Drysdale was out for a 12th straight game with an upper-body injury.
• The Flyers are right back at it Sunday when they host Utah (7:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
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