Flyers’ top line is creating scoring chances but must improve defensively: ‘They’ll rectify that’

The Flyers’ top line of Joel Farabee, Sean Couturier, and Travis Konecny has had a lot of near misses.

Of course, they’ve scored some, too — Konecny leads the team in goals, assists, and points — but Flyers coach John Tortorella has described Farabee in particular as having stuffed the “chance sheet.”

“[Farabee’s] right there at the top producing, as far as chances,” Konecny said. “Sometimes the bounces are going to go in, sometimes they’re not, but that’s something you know you can count on [with Farabee]; he’s going to show up, he’s going to do his job every day, he’s going to work hard.”

Konecny was unable to convert a couple of grade-A chances himself Saturday in a 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild. He was robbed by a Marc-André Fleury glove save after being fed by Farabee, and later missed an open net on the power play when the puck deflected off Matvei Michkov’s stick.

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According to MoneyPuck, the top line has accumulated 3.42 expected goals for per 60 minutes, which is higher than its 2.67 actual goals per 60 minutes. While the lack of finishing can be frustrating, the line expects that its chemistry will help turn things around.

Tortorella started the year with the forward lines in a blender, but they have started to develop some continuity over the last few weeks. The Farabee-Couturier-Konecny trio has spent 135 minutes on the ice together this season, the most of any combination.

“I know for us, it felt like we’ve had opportunities. I mean, obviously I had a good couple of looks there [against Minnesota],” Konecny said. “… It’s just like anything. It’s like PK partners, it’s like a power play. When you get together for a long time, it can only help you get more and more comfortable.”

Tortorella also sees room for improvement in the line defensively, and he didn’t mince words Monday after practice.

“I think they’ve been awful defensively,” Tortorella said of the Farabee-Couturier-Konecny combination. “… They’ve been brutal.”

Tortorella said the line has been more effective defending the rush, but the bigger issues come into play while in the defensive zone.

“They make me dizzy, they spin so much in our end zone,” he said. “They need to stop in our end zone. Once rush coverage is over, and we haven’t grabbed the puck, and we’re in the corner. It’s called arrivals. I always talk about arrivals; how you arrive on that rush coverage is key to coverage.

“It’s key to getting it back. If you’re spinning all over the place, no one knows where you’re going to be. No one knows if you’re going to be the first man, the low man, or you’re going to be covering the point, and that’s where your defense ends up playing in between, and playing off.”

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The line has spent the last week looking at film of its arrivals, according to Tortorella. And following Sunday’s day off, the Flyers also took advantage of a rare opportunity on the schedule with two consecutive practice days. The team spent Monday’s on-ice session running high-tempo drills in its lines and practicing checking and one-on-ones.

“They’re smart enough people and they’re good enough players that they’ll rectify that,” Tortorella said.

The Flyers have a practice day on Tuesday before heading to Detroit to take on the Red Wings on Wednesday (7 p.m., TNT, TruTV, Max).