PHILADELPHIA — For the first time since Dec. 22-23, the Flyers have lost two games in a row, following up Sunday’s 5-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets with a 4-3 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.
The Flyers played with the lead three times and never trailed through three periods. The first time they fell behind, it was the deciding goal in overtime from Kings forward Kevin Fiala.
After Owen Tippett used his size and speed to generate a two-on-one, James van Riemsdyk scored to give the Flyers the lead just 5:50 into the game. They played with the lead for under four minutes before two minutes of scoring reset the game.
The Flyers' first penalty of the game resulted in an Anže Kopitar power-play goal scored four seconds after the faceoff. A minute later, Wade Allison restored the Flyers’ lead when he finished on his own rebound of his shot off the rush. A minute after that, Kopitar tied it back up after Adrian Kempe’s wraparound pass found him in the slot with goalie Carter Hart overcommitted to the opposite side of the net.
Rasmus Ristolainen added another goal at 10:37 of the second period to give the Flyers a 3-2 lead, but the Kings equalized again with a Samuel Fagemo goal late in the middle frame. A scoreless third period sent it into overtime for the first time since Dec. 29 in Anaheim.
Lines without numbers
Coach John Tortorella has said his lines don’t have a pecking order. Morgan Frost’s line with van Riemsdyk and Tippett has started many games and played against opposing top lines. Noah Cates’ line with Joel Farabee and Travis Konecny has also played a first-line role — and it features the team’s top scorer in Konecny (49 points). Tuesday, they both generated momentum and opportunities.
While Scott Laughton’s line with Allison and Kevin Hayes hasn’t played a first-line role, it features veteran second-line center Hayes. Since it typically goes against other third lines, Hayes has been able to take advantage and is scoring at a career-best rate (.92 points per game). Against the Kings, all of the players on the third line created as much offense as the other top lines. Between the three of them, they compiled eight shots on goal, one goal (Allison), and one assist (Hayes).
Special second
The Flyers started the second period with 14 seconds remaining on their first-period power play. It expired without event, and a minute later, the momentum flipped the other way.
Van Riemsdyk was called for tripping 1:14 into the second, and the Flyers faced two short-handed minutes. In a much better performance than their first penalty kill, they kept the Kings from placing a single shot on goal during the penalty kill. Six seconds after they killed it, Nicolas Deslauriers went to the box. This time, the Flyers not only killed the power play but dominated and created momentum from it.
The Flyers killed one more power play and had a power play of their own killed in the second. In all, they spent 2 minutes, 14 seconds on the power play in the second, and six minutes on the penalty kill. Although they did well on the penalty kills, it meant they spent a lot of time shorthanded and using extra energy right before heading on the road amid a tough schedule. The ice time weighed heavily on their special teams players’ shoulders.
How did the second period end? With two more penalties handed out, one to Konecny and one to Mikey Anderson for their end-of-regulation scuffle.
Offensive defense
Ristolainen had two shots Tuesday, but one was good for a goal. As Frost made his way across the offensive zone to where Ristolainen waited by the blue line, Ristolainen drifted toward the goal. Frost put the puck on his stick albeit with a deflection, and Ristolainen made not mistake and backhanded it in.
In addition to adding a goal, the Flyers’ defense also assisted on the first two goals with Ivan Provorov picking up two assists. They were jumping in on offense, and Cam York added two shots on goal, and Tony DeAngelo had three.
But while the defense helped make the Flyers’ offense more dynamic, they also made things harder in their own end. When Kempe skated behind the net and Hart committed too hard, Travis Sanheim was trailing him around and no one else was around to help out. On the third goal, DeAngelo turned the puck over, and Frost, failed to track Fagemo, who beat Hart with an uncontested shot from the center of ice.
What’s next
The Flyers head to Minnesota for their first game against the Wild at 8 p.m. Thursday.
