Flyers fight back for 5-3 victory over Coyotes, keep win streak alive

Like in baseball, Flyers coach John Tortorella knows perfect games in hockey are a rarity. But what the bench boss wants is consistency from his group.

Well, Monday night’s 5-3 victory against the Arizona Coyotes was consistent in the win column, extending the Flyers’ streak to four, but it was far from perfect. Maybe the consistency was that the Flyers fought back three times to tie things up before finally taking the lead and then clamping down.

Facing a Coyotes team on a five-game losing streak, the Flyers came out flying, but fell into old habits late in the first period, leading to a 1-0 hole. After the Flyers couldn’t get the puck out, Travis Dermott’s shot from the left faceoff circle was blocked by Sean Walker, but Olle Lycksell had trouble corralling the puck. Clayton Keller picked it up and dropped it for Matt Dumba, who stepped into a rocket of a shot from the right point.

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The Flyers thought they tied things in the second period, but the goal by Travis Sanheim was challenged for offside and ruled a no-goal. But it didn’t take long for Philly to make it 1-1.

Morgan Frost was awarded a penalty shot after he took a pass from Cam Atkinson, streaked between the defense, and was hooked by Michael Kesselring. Frost took his time as he skated wide down the left side, curled to the middle, and pump-faked before scoring.

Matias Maccelli restored the Coyotes’ lead by banking the puck in off Flyers goalie Sam Ersson from behind the net. The Flyers fought back again.

Off a defensive-zone faceoff, Scott Laughton outraced — and outmuscled — rookie Logan Cooley, who lost his stick, for the puck at the Flyers blue line. Laughton broke out two-on-one with Travis Konecny and fed the Flyers’ No. 1 goal scorer for his 25th of the season.

The Flyers did not make things easy on themselves in this one. Cam York stepped up in the neutral zone to try and break up a pass but missed, which allowed the Coyotes to break into the Flyers zone two-on-one.

Jason Zucker found Alex Kerfoot streaking to the net, and the forward went forehand-backhand to tuck the puck behind Ersson.

But the Orange and Black never say die. Jamie Drysdale made it 3-3 when he took a pass from Konecny, cut to the right circle and got some help as the puck went in off Dumba.

Laughton then gave the Flyers the lead with a nifty wraparound goal after receiving a cross-ice pass in the left circle from Sanheim at the right point. The veteran center now has goals in back-to-back games.

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Owen Tippett scored an empty-net goal. ... Konecny finished with a goal and two assists. ... The Flyers played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Nic Deslauriers was a healthy scratch. ... Before the game, the Flyers announced that Tyson Foerster and Rasmus Ristolainen would each be out with “minor” injuries. Foerster sustained a lower-body injury and Ristolainen’s injury is upper-body. The team hopes to have them back by the weekend. ... Jakub Voráček was in attendance at the Wells Fargo Center. ... The Flyers have had four penalty shots this season, and each player has scored. Sean Couturier, Konecny, and Laughton have the other penalty-shot goals.

The Flyers head north for a matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday (7 p.m. on NBCSP).