Flyers trio still riding high after 4 Nations Face-Off experience: ‘I think it’s going to really help me’

Confidence can be quite a drug.

And right now Flyers goalie Sam Ersson, forward Travis Konecny, and defenseman Travis Sanheim are on a high after returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off.

“You get to get on the ice with those guys and they’re human as well, and you just start playing and start to realize that you’re capable of playing at that level,” Sanheim said. “I think it’s going to really help me. I really hope that my game is going to continue to grow here with those experiences and realizing the confidence that I should have and the abilities that I have.”

Sanheim and Konecny earned medals as Canada won the tournament, 3-2, in overtime against the United States. Konecny didn’t play in the final but got some help from Brad Marchand to collect his medal, hopping on the Boston Bruins captain’s back for a ride.

“He told me after that I should have done it, but I think it looked better with Marchand doing it. I thought it was a little funnier,” laughed Sanheim, who is best buds with Konecny and together make up “The Travii.” “[Konecny] initially said he wasn’t going down at all to get the medal because it was too far of a walk. So it was nice that he got the hike.”

» READ MORE: They once ‘hated each other.’ Now the inseparable ‘Travii’ have reached the highest level of the sport.

Sanheim became a key cog for Jon Cooper’s defense, playing the opening shift of Thursday’s extra session despite starting the tournament as the seventh defenseman.

When he found out he wasn’t playing on opening night against Sweden, Sanheim told Cooper he would be ready when called upon, and there he was. A guy who can play both sides on the blue line, he believes his versatility was why he made the roster in the first place, and why some pundits think he’ll get a long look for the 2026 Olympics.

And “those guys” he mentioned? Well, they are among the game’s elite with names like Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Sidney Crosby. The Flyers will face Crosby’s Penguins in a home-and-home beginning Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center (7 p.m., NBCSP).

“A lot of those guys, just how they are in the moment, in between periods, what they’re saying, how they’re acting, their reactions to whether you’re winning or losing, a lot of different areas [about] being a pro, and something that I haven’t experienced being in some of those situations,” Sanheim said. “I’m going to take those as lessons and try to bring them back here and continue to grow that side of my game as well.”

Ersson is also looking to grow his game and build on what occurred in Montreal and, more notably, Boston. He went into the tournament as the No. 3 guy on the depth chart and ended up being the tournament’s story for Sweden. He beat the United States, 2-1, with Flyers coach John Tortorella on the American bench and put his name into the mix for the Olympics, too.

“I was a little nervous when he let in the first one against us,” Tortorella said. “It’s really a nothing game for us, and I have to admit, I started thinking about my team back here right then because I don’t want him lit up. And it went the other way. He played outstanding. It’s a loss for us [that] doesn’t mean anything.

“I texted him right after the game. I thought he was outstanding. So great experience, getting thrown into it, getting scored on right away, answering, and playing as well as he did. So I was proud of him.”

» READ MORE: Travis Sanheim has come a long way to reach the top with Canada: ‘Anything’s possible if you put your head down and go to work’

Ersson will get the start Tuesday, facing off against his Tre Kronor teammates Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell.

Although Tortorella said the number of games on Ersson’s plate last season wasn’t ideal, he does believe the goalie will get the “lion’s share” of games down the stretch — and you can’t blame him given how the netminder’s been playing. Since Dec. 1, Ersson is 12-8-1 and Ivan Fedotov and Aleksei Kolosov are a combined 1-8-3.

But it all depends on where the Flyers sit in the standings and where they are roster-wise come the trade deadline.

“Sam is our No. 1 guy, and he is going to be played as a No. 1 guy,” Tortorella said. “We’re in a mindset of trying to chase down the playoff spot, and I’m going to act accordingly.”