Four reasons the Flyers’ win against the Calgary Flames could be a turning point

Every hockey season has a turning point.

Sometimes it’s a moment that turns the season around in a positive way. Other times it sends a signal to become sellers at the trade deadline.

It’s been hard to gauge where this Flyers team is this season as it has had good times — a nine-game point streak — and bad times — stretches of one win in six or seven games. But the 3-2 win against the visiting Calgary Flames on Saturday night may just be that turning point this group has been waiting for.

Carter Hart made key saves and stopped 22 of 24 shots, as he and Sam Ersson continue to prove they are one of the hottest goalie tandems in the NHL. The Flyers put twice as many hits on Calgary, as coach John Tortorella continues to assert that forechecking and playing a gritty style will carry the Flyers far. And the Flyers penalty kill continued to roll on as Travis Konecny got his fifth shorthanded goal to move into a tie for the NHL lead with New York Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom.

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

Here are four more reasons why this game could be the key in an 82-game stretch.

The Flyers played the Flames less than a week earlier on New Year’s Eve. Yes, they attempted to come back when trailing that game 3-1 and 4-2, but the uptick in play was too little, too late as the Flyers didn’t get their second goal until 16 minutes, 36 seconds into the final frame.

Saturday was different. After losing Thursday night in a shootout to the worst team in the Metropolitan Division, the Columbus Blue Jackets — in a game the Flyers dominated for the majority — they continued the trend during the matinee.

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Corsi For Percentage for Philly was 52% in the first period, 69.49% in the second period, and 50% in the third at all strengths against the Flames; the Flyers also controlled play at five-on-five in the final two frames. They put 42 shots on net, after putting 41 on the Blue Jackets’ netminder, in front of a season-high 19,715 fans.

“We needed to find a way, and I think we did,” Sean Couturier said. “Our last game was a pretty good game, but we just didn’t come up with the win. ... We came in with the same energy and intensity and even brought it to another level and found a way to get the two points.”

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

And they fought back. Down 1-0 after a Jonathan Huberdeau breakaway goal and 2-1 on a MacKenzie Weegar marker, the Flyers earned their fifth comeback win of the season.

“Yeah, contrary to what [the media] thought, I thought we did it against Columbus. So the past two games, we only get three out of four [points] I thought we played well right on through,” Tortorella said. “We had to climb back in. Again, second period, I think we had 16 and 17 scoring chances and we’re still tied. I thought we dominated the period. More physical. More scrums. I think more togetherness today. Certainly more in the past two games, more forechecking and pucks to the net. ...

“It was a good game for us. It was important that we at least get a result and not a one-point game on how hard they worked today. At this time we’re at it was important we get a result.”

Results are important at this time of the season. One point can determine a playoff spot and earning wins will only get harder as the playoff pushes heat up. The ability to claw back into games and pull out wins will determine where this team goes come April.

Although the players have continually said the locker room is tight and one of the closest groups they’ve been a part of, it oozed out onto the ice on Saturday. Facing a team they only see twice a year, the Flyers showed some zest in their game. But it was the way guys stepped up for one another that showcased just how close the group is.

Before Scott Laughton mucked it up with Huberdeau at the final buzzer as sticks and gloves littered the ice, Travis Sanheim took a hit from behind from A.J. Greer in the second period, leading to a five-on-five chat afterward.

Then Cam York was on the receiving end of an elbow to the side of the face by Elias Lindholm. Joel Farabee jumped in to defend his teammate. He became the fourth player on the Flyers to get a fighting major this season, joining Garnet Hathaway, Nic Deslauriers, and Nick Seeler.

“We have each other’s backs in here, no matter what the situation is. Kind of a dangerous play there and Joel was able to pick his teammate up and got the bench going,” Cam Atkinson said. “It’s nothing that we haven’t done since the start of the season. We have each other’s backs no matter what the situation is. We’re a family in this locker room and that’s what you’re supposed to do if one of your teammates gets hit like that.”

Don’t be deceived. Yes, the Flyers entered the game on an 0-for-15 slide and yes, the Flyers scored only one power-play goal in six chances on Saturday. But the power-play chances and puck control have been elevated as of late.

“These last two games, I think we’re on to a little something here,” Couturier said. “We’re a lot more in the offensive zone, moving the puck better, creating chances. Now it’s time to actually finish a little more. But, just got to stick to it even if it can be frustrating at times.”

The Flyers power play is ranked dead last in the NHL at 10.2% effectiveness. But after a seven-game stretch without a goal (0-for-17), they’ve scored three in the last eight games. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it does appear that construction is underway.

“I’m not going to come down on them,” Tortorella said Friday. “Everybody knows, they know they’re 32nd in the league. They know they haven’t scored goals. They don’t need a coach telling them that. They need a coach trying to help them.”

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers’ power play had a Corsi For Percentage of 91.67% in the first period and 93.75% in the second against the Flames. They had a whopping 27 shot attempts, including 10 shots on goal. Part of the reason is a few things have shifted for the two power-play units; most notably, Sanheim added to the second power play on the right flank and Egor Zamula elevated to the top group as the point man.

“Zamula has made a big difference,” Tortorella said after the game. “It’s a quarterback. I think he has that type of mentality. I think he has that type of poise. I think he’s made a huge difference to give us a chance just to settle down sometimes. And other guys are playing well. I think there’s a little chemistry with it right now.”

You need your top guys to perform. Always. And Couturier and Konecny have certainly done that. Konecny, after all, is heading to his second All-Star Game and has 21 goals this season — one behind guys named Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon and tied with the likes of William Nylander and Filip Forsberg.

But what drives the bus is secondary scoring. Morgan Frost, who was a healthy scratch for the 11th time in the team’s 39 games, was that guy on Saturday. He buried the puck to tie things up at 1 and the reaction said it all.

“Obviously, I think I should be in the lineup,” Frost said. “Yes, it’s kind of a wake-up call whenever you get pulled out like that, and I know I’ve got to be better. I don’t think by any stretch of the imagination I’ve had a good season so far. It’s all on 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.”

Frost is a goal scorer and a point producer when he is on his game. If his benching and subsequent chat with Tortorella lights a fire, it’ll only benefit the Flyers. If the Flyers can get the same response from Atkinson, who played a much better game on Saturday, it’ll be key.

And, if the Flyers can get more production from all three lines, it will take the pressure off the top trio and make the team more of a threat at every turn — a key to playoff pushes and deep runs.