Flyers overcome a pair of 2-goal deficits but fall to Blue Jackets 5-4 in overtime

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Standing behind his players in the first period, Flyers coach John Tortorella summed up their play in two words: “We suck.”

Whether they heard him in that moment, they heard his message and came out stronger, battling until the end in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“We started forechecking,” Tortorella said. “Had more energy. Found a way to lose.”

For the eighth time this season, the Flyers dug themselves into a 2-0 deficit. Carter Hart was making big saves to start the game, and his teammates were helping him out by blocking shots. But a bad line change by the first line and top defensive pair left the second line and pairing scrambling to catch up. They were a second too late. Then, the Flyers nullified their own power play with a penalty, and the resulting penalty kill led to a second goal early in the second.

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For the fifth time this season, they came back to tie it. Kevin Hayes powered a one-timer past Elvis Merzlikins. Four minutes later, Zack MacEwen’s no-look pass to Noah Cates caught Merzlikins again.

Tied, 2-2, going into the third, the Flyers immediately fell to a two-goal deficit again when Boone Jenner scored on a breakaway and Eric Robinson tapped one through Hart’s legs 13 seconds later. But the Flyers erased it yet again, first with a goal by Nick Seeler, who shot through traffic from the point, and then another by Travis Konecny on the power play.

That sent the game to overtime, and, for the second time, the Flyers squeezed a point out after making the comeback in regulation. Vladislav Gavrikov scored the final goal.

“We find a way to get a point,” Tortorella said. “I just — our starts. We need to find a way to figure out our starts.”

As yet more injury news was announced Tuesday morning, Scott Laughton placed more weight on his shoulders. The entire team needs to have a next-man-up mentality, he said, but the veterans also need to do more to help the young team.

Down, 2-0, the Flyers’ most veteran forwards stepped up. As the puck went down behind the net, Konecny and Laughton battled hard to maintain possession. They drew the attention of other Blue Jackets, and when Konecny emerged, he found a completely open Hayes. Hayes let loose with a one-timer.

MacEwen is one of the team’s most experienced players despite having just five years and 143 games of experience. He played the majority of last season, unlike all but four forwards in the lineup. He’s been a bright spot with his speed and battle level, which have made him a big part of the forecheck. He and Cates broke out on an odd-man rush, set up by Owen Tippett, and MacEwen’s beautiful pass completely faked out the goalie.

The Flyers special teams have been slipping, Tortorella said after the Flyers’ Sunday loss to the Dallas Stars. The power play hasn’t scored, and the penalty kill has allowed teams to score lately.

Following a day off Monday, the Flyers addressed the problems at morning skate Tuesday with power-play drills. They didn’t get a chance to put what they practiced into action until the second period, and even then, they had a small window with the advantage. They got one shot off before Tippett was called for interference and it became a four-on-four.

At even strength, the Flyers were fine, but once the four-on-four ended and became a Blue Jackets power play, things went downhill. After Sedlak got tripped up, he failed to clear it, and the Flyers’ penalty kill got out of position, setting up the Blue Jackets’ second goal.

But in the third period, on the Flyers second power play, Cates got a good shot off, and Konecny capitalized on the rebound. The goal broke the four-game, 10-power play drought.

“Our power play was better tonight,” Tortorella said. “Scored a goal to get to get us a point. As we’ve talked about during the year, that’s helped us get some points is getting at least one power play goal a game.”

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Earlier in the season, Tortorella “threw the lines against the wall” in search of a spark. It worked. After watching his team “suck,” he decided to do that again.

He left the fourth line alone, but he almost completely switched up the second lines. He moved Laughton up to the first from the second. He moved Tippett down and MacEwen up to the second with Cates. Joel Farabee went down to the third with Morgan Frost and Max Willman.

Shortly after, Hayes scored the first goal, with Laughton, new to the line, recording the second assist. Then Cates, working with new linemates Tippett and MacEwen, scored. Farabee and Frost then assisted on Seeler’s goal.

“I think changing the lines or whether he got us going between the periods or we just kind of reset and refocused ... that was kind of what we needed and what led to a lot of our goals and a lot of our success,” Cates said.

Tortorella also moved Rasmus Ristolainen to the second pairing with Travis Sanheim, and he returned to the penalty kill as well.

The Flyers head to Boston to play the Bruins in TD Garden at 7 p.m. Thursday.