How Travis Konecny’s ability to read plays is paying off for the Flyers

DENVER ― Travis Konecny has shown lately that he can be great on the penalty kill, exemplifying the Wayne Gretzky quote: “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”

The Flyers forward has been reading plays and going to open ice for breakaways. In the last two games, he’s had three chances to score going 1-on-1 with the goalie.

On Monday night at Wells Fargo in the Flyers’ 2-1 overtime win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was stopped by Alex Nedeljkovic when he went low glove side after blowing past Kris Letang on a Scott Laughton clear that bounced past the defenseman at the point. He had another chance in the second period after Travis Sanheim’s clear went to Laughton in the neutral zone. He fed the streaking forward who was stopped with a left pad.

So what is going through Konecny’s mind when it’s just him and the goalie? Not too much he revealed, as he’s just focusing on trying to beat the guy between the pipes. However, his next-door neighbor in the locker room, Laughton, gave him a fun ribbing that he should be thinking about putting the puck in the net.

Konecny said with a smile and a laugh that he definitely cost Laughton some points before adding: “Sometimes I have a tendency to shoot in my spots that I like to shoot in, but it all depends on the breakaway too, right? Like last game, I didn’t really have that many options. [I] just kind of read the play as you’re coming in, depending on what side and the pressure you have on you.”

In the Flyers’ 4-1 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday at Mullett Arena, Konecny got another breakaway chance, this one off a Nick Seeler clear that was nicked by Laughton on the way out. And this time he cashed in with a shot high glove side on Connor Ingram, because, as he said postgame, he wasn’t going to the same spot again.

» READ MORE: 3 big takeaways from the Flyers win in Arizona

“I think that’s where I try to make the best read I possibly can. Like, when I saw Seels had the puck [and] our D are so good; it would be really rare that when a D has full possession like that, that it’s not gonna get out. So I’m anticipating that my teammates are gonna make that play,” he said before getting his own chirp in “And, obviously, Scotty was really selfish and got a touch on that and wanted an assist.”

Konecny broke out down the left wing and outraced veteran defenseman Matt Dumba. He knew, with Dumba bearing down, the only opportunity he had to shoot was once he got right to the net. He cut to the middle and scored from 16 feet out high glove side.

“There’s few guys in the league that actually pick their spots, and, a lot of times like, I know for me, you’re just trying to beat the goalie,” he said. “I don’t care if it goes in the top or in the middle, I’m just trying to beat the goalie as far as like their hand or their leg.

“It’s really hard to beat a goalie, just 1-on-1 [with a] snipe, or whatever you want to call it. You can practice it all you want, and when you get those opportunities, yeah, you hope you hit the spot. But for the most part, you’re just trying to put it in an area.”

Konecny has been finding good places all season long. He has 14 goals in 26 games, including three while shorthanded, tying him atop the NHL leaderboard with three players, including the Colorado Avalanche’s Logan O’Connor. His first shortie of the season was a low-glove side laser beam past Dallas Stars netminder Scott Wedgewood — on a breakaway.

The Flyers lead the NHL in shorthanded goals this season (seven), epitomizing one of the newest hockey terms, “power kill.” Entering Saturday night’s game against the Avalanche, they’ve allowed just two power-play goals (38-for-40) and are first in the NHL with a 95% efficiency when shorthanded since Nov. 11.

Konecny certainly likes to go glove side, and, just in case you were wondering, Konecny does score even-strength breakaway goals in that spot. He beat Buffalo Sabres netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen glove side on Nov. 3 after he blew past Henri Jokiharju, and was fed a stretch pass by Tyson Foerster as he came off the bench and potted it under the glove of Carolina Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov on Nov. 28.

Ryan Poehling is still sick and will not dress. After making his season debut Thursday, Olle Lycksell will be a healthy scratch as the Flyers will be going with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Marc Staal will be the extra defenseman after being a healthy scratch Thursday in Arizona. ... Carter Hart will start in net. In three career games against Colorado, he is 1-2-0 with a 4.07 goals-against average and .891 save percentage. The lone win was a 5-3 barn-burner at home just over a year ago on Dec. 5. ... Bobby Brink returns to Denver and hits the ice at Ball Arena for the first time in his NHL career. The 22-year-old forward was a standout at the University of Denver for three seasons, where he not only led the nation in scoring with 57 points (14 goals, 43 assists) in 41 games in 2021-22, but also won an NCAA title. “It’s exciting, a lot of good memories in the city,” he said.