Flyers win 4-1, cool red-hot Coyotes for their third straight victory

Travis Konecny scored twice, and Joel Farabee and Cam York also found the back of the net to lead the Flyers over Arizona.

by Jackie Spiegel

Published Dec. 7, 2023, 11:45 p.m. ET

TEMPE, Ariz. ― The Arizona Coyotes may have been on a five-game heater, but it was the Flyers who were on fire at Mullett Arena on Thursday night.

Backed by a pair of goals from Travis Konecny, the Flyers topped the NHL’s hottest team 4-1 for their third straight victory, and fourth consecutive game with at least a point.

If you turned your head to chat with your buddy or even blinked, there’s a good chance you missed Konecny’s first of the night. Off an offensive zone draw, Sean Couturier drew it back to Konecny on his left for the quick strike off the shoulder of Connor Ingram at 10 minutes and 11 seconds of the first period.

Joel Farabee then made it 2-0 off a pretty cross-crease pass from Cam Atkinson, as he crashed the net backdoor at 13:18. The goal snapped a six-game drought for Farabee and was Atkinson’s first point since Nov. 24.

Konecny’s second of the night restored the Flyers’ two-goal lead after Arizona forward Lawson Crouse cut into it late in the first period, just three seconds after Travis Sanheim exited the penalty box.

Skating shorthanded in the middle frame with Couturier in the box, Konecny blew past Coyotes defenseman Matt Dumba and forward Clayton Keller after he and Scott Laughton pressured puck carrier Nick Schmaltz to create a turnover.

It was a key moment for Konecny, who found some redemption after getting stymied on two breakaways Monday night in the Flyers’ 2-1 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Cam York said less than a week ago his confidence hasn’t wavered at all this year. But there is no denying the young defenseman has elevated his game as of late. In the third period, he got the puck on the left point, skated into the left circle, and pulled the puck into his body before firing off a wrister through a screen.

Nicolas Deslauriers recorded the secondary assist on York’s goal, marking his 100th career NHL point.

Ryan Poehling was a late scratch due to illness and Olle Lycksell made his season debut after being recalled from Lehigh Valley on Tuesday. He rotated in with Bobby Brink on a line with Morgan Frost and Owen Tippett.

Up next

The Flyers now hop on a flight to Denver and will take on the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday (9 p.m., NBCSP). For more on the game, check out our takeaways on the Flyers 4-1 win against the Coyotes.