PHILADELPHIA — After a 13-game losing streak to start 2022 turned the Flyers’ Happy New Year to a dry January, the last game of the month offered a welcome respite for the struggling club.
The Flyers snapped their skid on Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center against the Los Angeles Kings, securing a 4-3 overtime victory with two goals from Cam Atkinson and one from each Gerry Mayhew and Scott Laughton.
Over their last two games against the New York Islanders and the Dallas Stars, the Flyers gave up third-period goals that cost them a shot at victory. Going into the third period with a 2-1 lead on Saturday, the Flyers would be tasked with staving off the Kings if they wanted to come out with a win.
The Kings ramped up the intensity in the third period, challenging goalie Carter Hart with 13 shots on goal. Eleven minutes into the third period, the Flyers faced a critical penalty kill when winger Oskar Lindblom was sent to the box for hooking.
Early in the kill, Atkinson jumped on a loose puck for a breakaway, scoring a shorthanded goal to put the Flyers up 3-1. Viktor Arvidsson got one back on the power play just 45 seconds later and center Anze Kopitar scored at 6-on-5 with less than a minute remaining in the third period.
But the Flyers persevered, as Laughton scored with just two and a half minutes remaining in overtime. Finally, the Flyers earned a win for the first time this year against the team that broke their seven-game point streak on Jan. 1.
Atkinson’s revenge
The last time the Kings and the Flyers faced off, Atkinson earned a penalty shot opportunity after he was tripped on a breakaway by center Phillip Danault. On the penalty shot, Atkinson approached the net with speed, but he was unable to get fellow Avon Old Farms School alumnus Jonathan Quick to bite on a couple of stick-handling moves. Quick made the right pad save and helped the Kings to a 6-3 win over the Flyers.
In the teams’ rematch on Saturday afternoon, Atkinson got his revenge on Quick. In the second period, captain Claude Giroux sent a bouncing puck on Quick from the neutral zone. The puck hit Quick up high and bounced into the slot and on the tape of Atkinson’s stick. Atkinson buried the shot to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead. Now, Atkinson has 17 goals this season, which is a team high and passes his total from last season.
Hart hangs in
Early in the first period, the Kings generated momentum by spending long shifts in the Flyers’ zone and wearing out the defense. Twelve minutes into the first period, the Kings went on a minute-long offensive zone attack. After center Scott Laughton’s attempt to clear the puck was picked off by defenseman Sean Durzi, Hart was forced to deny a couple of shots on goal. Durzi fired one from the right face-off circle, and winger Viktor Arvidsson tried to net a rebound from the right post, but Hart saved one and stopped the other.
Hart also looked sharp through two Kings power plays between the first and second periods. While the Kings moved the puck with ease against the Flyers’ penalty kill and peppered eight shots on goal, Hart appeared unfazed and slowed the Kings’ surge. By the buzzer, Hart denied 37 of 40 on goal, earning his first win since Dec. 14 against the New Jersey Devils.
Mayhew Mayhem gets a helping hand from Frost, Ristolainen
On Tuesday against the New York Islanders, Mayhew emerged as the team’s best forward with his signature hustle, which earned him a goal in the Flyers’ 4-3 loss. Interim head coach Mike Yeo rewarded Mayhew with special teams responsibilities, namely on the second power play unit, and decided to keep the efficient third line of Mayhew, Morgan Frost, and Max Willman together for Saturday’s game.
Against the Kings, Mayhew helped the Flyers jump out to an early lead thanks to the efforts of Frost and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. After Frost won a battle for the puck along the boards in the Flyers’ zone, he passed the puck ahead to Willman to start a breakout. Willman passed the puck back to Frost at the blue line, who showed patience when he hit a late-arriving Ristolainen. After maneuvering around Kings center Quinton Byfield in the slot, Ristolainen hit Mayhew down low, firing a wrist shot into the open net past Quick.
What’s next
The Flyers return to the Wells Fargo Center next week against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday at 7 p.m. before the All-Star break.
