Flyers end losing streak with 3-2 win over Calgary on Ed Snider’s birthday

As they honored their past and the legacy of their late founder and owner, Ed Snider, on what would have been his 91st birthday, the Flyers played a brand of hockey that he would have been proud of.

Reminiscent of the Broad Street Bullies era that saw the team win two Stanley Cups, this iteration played a hard-nosed, hard-fought game where they not only beat the visiting Calgary Flames on the scoreboard, 3-2, but also when it came to defending teammates.

“It’s a good game for Mr. Snider. A good-style game for him, rest his soul,” coach John Tortorella said to lead off his press conference before saying later: “The type of game, the style of game, I think he kinda had us playing that way up there, maybe.”

Added Sean Couturier, one of two current players who were on the team during Snider’s tenure: “It was a huge win. I’m sure he’d be proud from up there. There was a lot of intensity, a lot of old-school in the game, some chippy hits, some battles and after-the-whistle stuff. Just overall a lot of intensity in that game and I’m sure he’s proud of it.”

Coming off a tough 3-2 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, where the bench boss liked how his team played — outside of a few minutes late in the game — the Flyers played hard for a full 60 minutes.

» READ MORE: Flyers honor late team founder and owner, Ed Snider, who believed in doing ‘great things’ for others

Trailing, 1-0 and 2-1, the Flyers clawed back into the game with goals by Morgan Frost and Couturier before All-Star Travis Konecny gave the Flyers the lead with a short-handed goal. The Flyers’ 2024 representative scored on a breakaway after the power kill stepped up at the blue line and broke up the Flames’ entry. He scored — where else? — glove side.

“I was thinking to myself on the bench, when we were all watching that tribute, ‘There’s no way we were losing this game,’” Konecny said. “You could just feel it in your body and the excitement going through the game and in the building. It was awesome.”

Two nights ago, Frost was watching from the press box. The next day he requested a meeting with Tortorella, something the fiery bench boss “was thrilled” about.

“I think I just had some things that I kind of wanted to get off my chest, and it was a good back and forth,” Frost said. “... You know, I’m probably a quieter guy, [but] I think to just go in there and kind of speak my mind and hear his thoughts and kind of just hash everything out was good. But, yeah, after being out again I just wanted to come play with energy.”

Although he wouldn’t discuss what was said exactly, whatever it was, it seemed to spark the centerman — who also sat for 10 of the first 20 games. He put together his third multipoint game of the season with a goal and an assist.

Frost tied the game, 1-1, less than three minutes after Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau scored bardown on a breakaway. Situated alone at the right post, Sean Walker took a shot that was blocked by Huberdeau but then put another on net, and Frost buried the rebound.

“Obviously, I think I should be in the lineup,” said Frost, who had eight shots and three hits. “Yes, it’s kind of a wake-up call whenever you get pulled out like that, and I know I gotta be better. I don’t think by any stretch of the imagination I’ve had a good season so far. It’s all one me, and I take responsibility for it and I think just try and find more consistency and play with more energy like I did today.”

» READ MORE: Cam Atkinson takes ‘full ownership’ for first healthy scratch with Flyers

Frost then added an assist on Couturier’s marker in the second period as the Flyers’ power play finally broke through after an 0-for-15 stretch across the past four games.

Back in his usual spot on the first power-play unit, Frost sent a low pass for Couturier, but it instead went off the end board and out to Couturier at the left post. The savvy veteran collected the puck and banked it in off the arm of Jacob Markstrom after seeing the Calgary netminder leaving some room as he looked the other way.

Cam Atkinson also was back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the first time this season on Thursday.

Although he didn’t pot a goal for the 23rd straight game, Atkinson did show signs of returning to form and had four shots, including three shots on goal.

After throwing a good check on his first shift, he was alone in the slot on his second shift but sent the puck wide right. In the second period, with 4 minutes and 17 seconds remaining in the period, he was streaking to the net and got a pass from Owen Tippett, but couldn’t bury it.

A big key was that he didn’t take any bad penalties. In fact, Atkinson drew the hooking penalty on MacKenzie Weeger that led to the Couturier power-play goal.

“I felt good,” Atkinson said. “I felt I had my energy, I had my chances. That’s all I can really do and they’re going to go for me so it was a good step in the right direction.”

Tortorella, who scratched Atkinson for just the second time in their seven seasons together, noted the uptick in play by his veteran winger, saying: “I noticed Cam. He was more energetic and active, had some chances.”

The Flames and Flyers played on New Year’s Eve. While that game wasn’t fiery, multiple scrums kept things interesting Saturday.

In the second period, there was a meeting between the 10 skaters on the ice after Travis Sanheim took a hit from behind by A.J. Greer in the defensive zone.

» READ MORE: Philadelphia Sports Writers Association to honor 1973-74 Cup champs and Sean Couturier

Not long after, Joel Farabee came to the defense of Cam York after the blueliner was on the receiving end of what the referees called an elbow by Elias Lindholm. Farabee dropped the gloves with the Swede and was assessed 17 minutes of penalties following his 10th career fight and first of the season.

“That’s huge and it’s not surprising either,” Konecny said about Farabee coming to defend York. “Guys step up for each other all the time, and Beezer’s a guy who always finds himself in those spots.”

And just because the buzzer sounded, that didn’t mean that the pleasantries ended, as gloves and sticks littered the ice and the two teams were separated after another scrum.

“A little different eras,” Atkinson said with a smile when asked about the throwback game. “But it’s been a different year for this whole organization, bringing in new management and leadership and just that trickle-down effect that leads into how we play and what we want to do — not only for our organization, but for the city of Philadelphia.

“It comes back to having each other’s backs and sticking up for each other, and that’s what we’re going to have to do to be successful and it was a great game for us.”

Marc Staal and Rhett Gardner were healthy scratches as the Flyers returned to 12 forwards and six defensemen. Gardner was loaned to Lehigh Valley after the game. ... Carter Hart made 22 saves; the Flyers put 42 shots on Markstrom. The Flyers also had 87 shots to Calgary’s 62. ... Couturier put eight shots on goal, tying a season high set against the New York Islanders in November. ... Egor Zamula had 10 shots, including three shots on goal, and was praised postgame by Tortorella for his work as the quarterback on the power play saying: “I think he has that type of mentality. I think he has that type of poise.” ... Neither Nicolas Deslauriers nor Bobby Brink got a shift in the third period. Tortorella said it was because he went with three lines.

The Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday (7 p.m., NBCSP).