3 big takeaways from the Flyers’ 4-1 win against the Coyotes

TEMPE, Ariz. — John Tortorella has been saying all season long that it’s important for his young club to learn how to win tough games. On Thursday night, in front of 4,600 boisterous fans split between the Flyers and Coyotes, the visiting squad won an “ugly” game, 4-1, at Arizona State’s Mullett Arena.

“I’m not upset with the team, I thought we played hard,” Tortorella said. “I just thought it was a slugfest, back and forth.”

» READ MORE: Flyers win 4-1, cool red-hot Coyotes for their third straight victory

Momentum swings were at a premium, but as the Flyers have done often, they weathered the storm and held off a Coyotes team that, per Natural Stat Trick, had a Corsi For Percentage of 65.91% in the third period.

Potting a pair of goals in the opening frame by Travis Konecny and Joel Farabee to build a lead certainly helped; the Orange and Black had gone seven games without a first-period goal after scoring 25 from the start of the season through Nov. 20, tying the Tampa Bay Lightning for the most in the NHL in that span.

The Flyers have now won three straight and have registered at least a point in four consecutive games. Here are three more takeaways from the team’s big win in the desert.

Monday night at home, Konecny had two breakaway chances while shorthanded, but each time he got stopped by Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic in the Flyers’ 2-1 overtime win. On Thursday night, he wasn’t going to miss again.

“I wasn’t trying to shoot in the same spot again, I’ll tell you that,” he said with a grin. “No matter what, I was trying something different.”

» READ MORE: Flyers’ 'power kill' dominating with blocked shots, solid structure

He certainly did. This time he went high glove side as he outraced Coyotes defenseman Matt Dumba. The play started in the Flyers’ end as Konecny and Scott Laughton put pressure on Nick Schmaltz, causing him to make a bad pass to the boards. Nick Seeler got the puck and chipped it up off the stick of Laughton to a streaking Konecny.

It was just another example of how good the Flyers’ penalty kill has been this season.

“The guys I’m on the ice with, they’re pressuring so good and it’s just a read that we talk about and we try to do it in the right way, to not give up much,” he said, before adding he was glad to get one back after his miscue allowed Lawson Crouse to score just three seconds after a Coyotes power play ended.

Konecny started things off in the first, scoring on a set play with a quick strike off a faceoff win by his buddy Sean Couturier.

“He’s intense, aggressive, fast skater, explosive. So when he sees a loose puck, he’s most likely winning that race and it’s fun to play with a guy like that,” said Couturier, who was in the box when Konecny scored his second goal of the game. “... You know, what I like is the last two years he’s learned how to PK and it’s another side of his game that’s developing and he’s doing a heck of a job with all those shorthanded goals.”

Konecny now has 14 goals, including a league-best equaling three on the penalty kill for the NHL’s leading club in shorthanded goals (seven).

“That’s from him, that’s been demanded,” Konecny said with a chuckle when asked about Couturier’s seeing his game mature over the years. “It’s funny because he’s always been on me about that. And even to this day, there’s still times where I get away and I just get a look on the bench and I’m like, ‘All right.’

“I’ve been playing with him for a lot of my career, and he’s one of the best defensive guys in the game, so it’s helped me a lot. Just been trying to play a little smarter at times, and I still have lots of room for improvement, but I’ve been trying to do my best just to do it at the right times.”

Cam York said last week that his confidence has not wavered, but it seems the 22-year-old defenseman has turned his game up another notch as of late. While he blocked three shots — which, of course, endeared him to his coach — it was pretty evident on the goal he helped set up and the goal he scored that York is flying high.

» READ MORE: Cam York’s rise in California started with a backyard roller rink and coaching from a Hall of Famer

“I think I’ve felt comfortable,” he said. “I think, the puck maybe necessarily hasn’t gone in the net for me, but I feel like I’ve been making plays like that for a good chunk of the year. ... I feel like that goal is a part of my skill set that I have. I want to be shifty out there, I want to be able to make moves that other D-men maybe can’t. It’s part of my game I feel like and it was nice to see that one went in.”

The play on his goal was a little shimmy as he skated down the left side to ditch Coyotes forward Jason Zucker before he stepped into the left circle and fired off a wrister. But it wasn’t just the shimmy; before he let go of the shot through a screen, he dragged the puck into his body to create separation and cause Coyotes goalie Connor Ingram to not move into position.

York also helped create offense on a sweet tap-in by Farabee in the first period to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead. The defenseman joined the rush and skated deep into the Coyotes zone, forcing them to collapse and lose their coverage. He got the puck in the circle and sent it back to Cam Atkinson, who found Farabee at the far post after a sweet tic-tac-toe passing play.

“It’s nice to see,” Couturier said about York’s goal before adding, “I think that’s what we want from our D, is to be active, mobile, and I think they’re learning when to kind of use their legs and create some offense.”

Say what you will about an “NHL” arena that seats only 5,000, but the atmosphere at Mullett Arena is top-notch. The players did have some problems with the lighting and shadows — as York said, “it feels weird” — but from the stands the vibes were good.

Maybe it’s the closeness you feel, with the lower bowl only a few rows deep. Maybe it was the thumping of top 40 jams or when the Coyotes mascot Howler banged on his drum and the sound echoed around like at a European soccer or hockey game. Or maybe it’s because it had that old building vibe, like Long Island’s Nassau Coliseum, where everyone clustered onto the only concourse in the building and you felt you were part of something so much bigger.

» READ MORE: Tyson Foerster’s found his scoring touch, but that’s no longer all he provides the Flyers

Whatever it may be, a rink that was built for a college hockey team is a fun place to watch the pros get it done.

Although sitting close has its drawbacks, like the inability to fully see a whole play develop. This instantly reminds you how fast the game of hockey is. The speed of today’s NHL is insanely high, and sitting so close where you think you may feel the wind as someone like Konecny speeds past you with his jersey fluttering, is a feeling every fan should experience.

And the prices seemed pretty decent compared with other arenas around the league. This reporter picked up a Big Chicken sandwich — from Shaquille O’Neal’s spot — and a Coke Zero for just under $20.

Olle Lycksell made his season debut after being recalled from Lehigh Valley. Tortorella said Wednesday that Lycksell was not going to play but, after Ryan Poehling was a late scratch because of illness, the youngster slotted in. Tortorella revealed postgame that he told the forward he wasn’t sure how much he would play. In the end, he played 6:11, all at even strength, as he swapped in and out with Bobby Brink on his line with Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett. Lycksell did get on the scoresheet after he was called for boarding — a call that Tortorella vehemently disagreed with. ... Carter Hart earned his 92nd career win, tying him with Roman Čechmánek and Bob Froese for fifth in Flyers history. ... Nic Deslauriers got the secondary assist on York’s goal for his 100th NHL point. He has exactly 50 goals and 50 assists.