Flyers return from the All-Star break with 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers
Owen Tippett suited up for his first game since getting injured on Jan. 20, and the Flyers ended a five-game losing streak.
SUNRISE, Fla. — Flyers coach John Tortorella adamantly waved his hands around during the first commercial break, as it clearly looked like he was dressing down his team.
One could only imagine what he was saying. And you couldn’t blame him.
The Flyers came out flat and were being severely outplayed by the Florida Panthers. How bad was it? By that break, just 6 minutes and 6 seconds into the game, the hometown team had 15 shot attempts to the Flyers’ one.
Thanks to goalie Sam Ersson, who kept his guys in it, the Flyers were able to regroup and get back to playing their game. And after a 10-day break, they skated away with a much-needed 2-1 win to end a five-game losing streak.
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The Panthers struck first. Carter Verhaeghe curled and snapped the puck from the left face-off circle to beat Ersson high stick side on the power play. Down 1-0, things seemed bleak, but the Orange and Black came out sharp in the second period and were now the ones on their toes.
They were able to put more pressure on the Panthers and it ended up paying off as the Flyers’ All-Star representative, Travis Konecny, evened things up with a beauty of a goal.
In his own end, Sean Walker sent an outlet pass up to Joel Farabee at the Panthers’ blue line. With Konecny streaking down the middle, Farabee sent a nifty backhand saucer pass to the right winger who finished a soft-touch shot over the glove of Anthony Stolarz.
» READ MORE: The Flyers’ Travis Konecny has blossomed from ‘rat’ into one of the NHL’s top goal scorers
In the third period, Noah Cates gave the Flyers the lead they needed after a cross-ice pass by Gustav Forsling in the Panthers’ end didn’t connect with his teammate along the boards. Cates corralled the puck, cut around Aaron Ekblad, and buried it for his second goal of the season. Forsling tried to poke-check it away but it went right back to Cates.
Breakaways
Forwards Nicolas Deslauriers and Olle Lycksell were healthy scratches as the Flyers went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. ... Owen Tippett was activated from injured reserve earlier Tuesday and played in his first game since getting injured Jan. 20 against the Colorado Avalanche.
Up next
The Flyers head home for a matchup with the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).