Flyers limp into All-Star break after 6-2 loss to Bruins

The break is coming at the right time for the Flyers.

After Mark Recchi was inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame, the current iteration struggled to get going against one of his other former teams and were handed a 6-2 thrashing by the Boston Bruins. They now limp into the All-Star break with a five-game losing streak.

Four of the Bruins’ goals came in a 4 minute, 14 second span in the opening period.

David Pastrnak scored first as he hung around the blue line, received a pass from Pavel Zacha, and ripped a shot from the right face-off circle between the legs of Travis Sanheim. The puck went far post and in, past a screened Sam Ersson.

Zacha got his second assist of the night 97 seconds later when he sent a cross-crease pass over to Charlie McAvoy for the backdoor tap-in. Danton Heinen deflected in a point shot by Brandon Carlo — that was also deflected by Nick Seeler — to make it 3-0 just 61 seconds later. Pastrnak rounded out the scoring in the first with his 33rd of the season after Ersson tried to knock the puck away from the crease, but it went right to the 2024 NHL All-Star.

» READ MORE: Mark Recchi thanks ‘passionate’ fans as he is inducted as 28th member of Flyers Hall of Fame

In the second period, the Flyers’ old friend James van Riemsdyk got on the board. With Cal Petersen now in net, van Riemsdyk was wide open in front thanks to a defensive zone breakdown and scored easily. It was the first shot Petersen saw in the game and first in the NHL since he led the Flyers to a 4-2 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 11.

Charlie Coyle scored the sixth goal for the Bruins as Petersen was knocked over by Sanheim.

Tyson Foerster made sure the Flyers wouldn’t be shut out for the second straight game, notching two goals for the second time in his young NHL career.

In the second period, he received a pass from Sanheim near the Bruins’ blue line, drove past the check of Parker Wotherspoon, and then toe-dragged the puck around Carlo before beating Linus Ullmark. He added another in the third period from the slot when his shot went in off Matt Grzelcyk.

Egor Zamula did not play due to illness. Rasmus Ristolainen, who was a healthy scratch for the first time this season on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings, slotted back in alongside Cam York. ... Pastrnak has 17 points (11 goals, six assists) during a seven-game point streak against the Flyers. ... Joel Farabee tried the Michigan in the first period and almost scored. ... The Flyers showed a video tribute for van Riemsdyk during the first commercial break. It was his first game back in Philadelphia after signing with the Bruins during the offseason.

The Flyers now begin their bye week and All-Star break. Travis Konecny is the lone Flyers representative and will head home to Toronto for All-Star Weekend. The Flyers get back to work in Florida on Feb. 6 against the Panthers (7 p.m., NBCSP).