Flyers unsatisfied with their two wins after the All-Star break: ‘This is how you build’

The Flyers have played two games since the All-Star break, and, aside from the win column, they were vastly different.

On Tuesday night in South Florida, a bad first period before two great ones led to a 2-1 win. Two nights later at home, the team jumped out to a 4-0 lead after a great first period before a not-so-great final 40.

“The key for us right now, in the last stretch of games here, is trying to be as consistent as possible. All that is is a concentration level,” head coach John Tortorella said. “Hopefully, we’ll get it done. You don’t play perfect games; you just need to try to be as consistent as possible. If we’re not, then there will be some struggles.”

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Tortorella hasn’t addressed the 4-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets with his squad. He knows his group is aware it didn’t play its best game for a full 60 minutes, and he wants to see how it responds.

“We’ve slowly grown as a locker room, and I feel very comfortable with it. But now this is how you build,” Tortorella said. “Now we’re in a situation that we put ourselves, that we’re still fighting here, and I want to see how guys react. ... We’ve given ourselves an opportunity, that’s all we’ve done here is given ourselves an opportunity, now we’ll see if we can grow even more.”

Cal Petersen will get the start in goal on Saturday, facing a Seattle Kraken team he is 2-1-2 against with a 3.44 goals-against average and .873 save percentage. It is his third start of the season and first since he made 35 saves in a 4-2 win against his former team, the Los Angeles Kings, on Nov. 11. He had mop-up duty in a 6-2 loss to the Boston Bruins two weeks ago, replacing Sam Ersson at the start of the second period.

After two games against Stanley Cup contenders, the Flyers face the Kraken, who have lost six of eight following a nine-game winning streak, which included a 2-1 overtime win against the Flyers.

“As a player, these are the games that it’s easy to get up for, right? I’ve been in the league 13 years and only made the playoffs five times. ... I’ve been in situations where we’ve been out of the playoffs by Christmastime, even almost Thanksgiving time, right?” Cam Atkinson said. “It’s hard to come to the rink during those times. So to come and we’re right in the thick of it and every game means so much that these points are so important I think that allows guys to, not take advantage, but learn what it takes to win these games.”

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Atkinson would like to put his last game behind him. Yes, the Flyers won, but he watched the final 25 minutes from the bench. He finished with 10 minutes, 31 seconds of ice time — his fewest in a game where he didn’t sustain an injury since he played 10:08 against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 6, 2014. Tortorella called Atkinson’s game “inconsistent” right now.

“The last game, obviously, wasn’t my best,” Atkinson said. “I think I played solid against Florida and then before [the All-Star] break, I felt my game was coming. Just get back to playing with energy, confidence, and shooting the puck and getting myself to those dirty areas where I score all my goals. A work in progress right now.”

The Flyers will go with 12 forwards and six defensemen against the Kraken. Defensemen Rasmus Ristolainen, who missed Thursday because of illness, will slot back in. Marc Staal and Egor Zamula will be healthy scratches. In terms of Zamula, Tortorella thinks “he’s leveled off at five-on-five” and wants him to watch a game. Nicolas Deslauriers also is back in the lineup. He was a healthy scratch the past two games and for five of the Flyers’ 14 games in January. “I just want [him] to play, play his game, play hard, finish his checks. It’s all the obvious stuff that DeLo brings,” Tortorella said.