Morgan Frost heats up with two goals as Flyers top Kings in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES — Morgan Frost couldn’t help but crack a small smile. A guy needing a lucky bounce finally got one.

And then he scored again.

In a 4-2 Flyers win, Frost was the star on Saturday night in a city filled with them. His two goals came in the middle frame to give the Flyers some breathing room against a Kings team that had been running over the rest of the NHL for almost a month.

On his first marker of the night, Frost streaked down the left side and took a touch pass from his buddy Owen Tippett — who scored the opening goal on a breakaway in the first period — right before the Kings’ blue line. He carried the puck around the net as his jersey flapped in the wind, and centered the puck. But this time, instead of it going through the crease or turning into nothing, he got some much-needed puck luck as it went off Kings defenseman Jordan Spence and goalie Cam Talbot, who was trying to correct after overcommitting at the left post.

“I’d like to say I tried to bank it off the skate on purpose,” Frost said jokingly when asked if the pass was intended for Tippett, who was cutting down the middle. “But, no, definitely not. I honestly was thinking shot the whole way coming down the wing and then just ended up pump-faking and tried to find Tippy and got a fortunate bounce there. I’d like to think I’ve been working hard when I’m out of the lineup and keeping a positive attitude, so maybe that’s the bounce that I got for that.”

His second of the night was a little more conventional and one that made head coach John Tortorella happy. Standing on the doorstep, Frost deflected in a point shot by Nick Seeler. It was the type of goal the Flyers bench boss has been asking for while out in sunny California and a continuation of what he got Friday night on a handful of goals in a 6-3 win in Anaheim — point shots and guys having a net-front presence.

“I said the other day, it’s only a matter of time before a guy like that gets in, and ... those were big goals for us,” Tippett said. “I think, when a guy goes through what he’s gone through and battles back and comes back and has a two-goal game, it lifts the bench up too. Everyone’s happy for him.”

Frost’s first goal ended a 12-game drought that dated back to April 4 last season. As everyone surely knows by now, he was only playing in his eighth game of the season; the Flyers were playing No. 15. Frost, who got his fourth career multigoal game, recorded his first point of the season against the Ducks on Friday.

“Yeah, he scores one in the paint, makes a couple of good plays, hopefully that’ll give him some confidence,” Tortorella said. “Everybody keeps asking me, ‘Why isn’t Frosty in the lineup?’ This, that, the other thing, he needs to do those things offensively for us for him to play in that role.”

» READ MORE: John Tortorella’s decision to bench Morgan Frost is just part of the Flyers’ ‘Process’ | Mike Sielski

On Thursday after the team’s practice in Irvine, Tortorella said that Carter Hart was “good to go” and would be starting against the Ducks on Friday night. But when the morning came around the No. 1 netminder was sick.

Rinse and repeat on Saturday.

In the morning, Tortorella again said Hart was “good to go,” but when the team headed out for warmup, it was Cal Petersen leading the way. Sam Ersson was the other goalie. Hart was a late scratch because of illness — according to GM Danny Brière they fully expected Hart to start but he started to get sick again — and now has missed five games. The first three were because of a back injury sustained on Nov. 1.

Petersen may have only found out earlier in the day that he was getting the start but the 29-year-old netminder took full advantage of the opportunity. The former Kings goalie made his second start of the season, with each coming against familiar faces; albeit this one was a better showing as he allowed five goals on 30 shots to the Kings just a week ago.

Thanks to the guys in front of him giving him lanes to track the puck, and relying on some big, controlled pad saves, Petersen earned his first win since Nov. 16, 2022, when he made 22 saves in a 3-1 win for Los Angeles against the Oilers. Petersen stopped 35 of the 37 shots he faced on Saturday, with his buddies blocking 20 more.

“It’s amazing. The guys battled really hard for me, blocking shots,” Petersen said. “Obviously, it’s been a tough, tough last year, but, again, to do it here means so much to me. This one was a little bit easier than the first game just emotionally and mentally. So, obviously, for it to come against the Kings was, yeah, makes for a good memory.”

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Victor Mete made his Flyers debut in place of Egor Zamula. It was his first NHL game since last December with the Maple Leafs after he sustained a broken pubic bone and sprained sacroiliac joint after getting hit awkwardly into the boards. It was also his first game as a dad as he welcomed a daughter, Milena, on Oct. 29. ... Bobby Brink also was a healthy scratch with Ryan Poehling slotting in. ... The Kings entered the night 6-0-2 in their past eight games. ... Tippett and Cam Atkinson each scored for the second straight game. Tippett now has three goals in two games. ... A fan favorite during his tenure with the Kings, Sean Walker had two assists in his return. ... Tortorella has now coached 1,480 NHL games. He passed Darryl Sutter for eighth all-time. Up next on the list is Ken Hitchcock at 1,598. The former Flyers bench boss will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday.

» READ MORE: Ken Hitchcock’s biggest disappointment of his Hall of Fame career came with the Flyers

Goodbye, California. The Flyers head home after the game before finishing the road trip Wednesday at Carolina (7:30 p.m., TNT).