Travis Konecny scores twice as the Flyers’ winning streak continues against Avalanche
Carter Hart made 39 saves and eight guys contributed to the score sheet as the Flyers topped the Avalanche, 5-2, Saturday.
DENVER ― The Flyers are going streaking, again.
After putting together a five-game win streak back in November, they’re kicking off December in a similar fashion with a four-game winning streak and a five-game point streak.
Carter Hart made 39 saves and eight guys contributed to the score sheet, including a second straight two-goal night by Travis Konecny, as the Flyers topped the Colorado Avalanche 5-2 Saturday.
Konecny scored his first of the night off a beauty of a leading pass from Sean Couturier at 17 minutes and 41 seconds of the first period. Avalanche forward Ryan Johansen was unable to handle a Tyson Foerster clear with Couturier pressuring and the Flyers center was able to knock the puck out of the air before feeding a streaking Konecny as he blew past the Colorado defensive pairing of Jack John and Sam Malinksi.
Konecny buried it, glove side.
His second of the night was another glove-side goal — it actually popped off the glove of Ivan Prosvetov — but this time it was on a penalty shot after he was pulled down by Nathan MacKinnon on a breakaway and helped seal the win.
» READ MORE: How Travis Konecny’s ability to read plays is paying off for the Flyer
Owen Tippett restored the Flyers lead to 2-1 at 9 minutes of the second period. MacKinnon had tied it 78 seconds after Konecny got his first. Hart kicked out a Josh Manson shot up to Bobby Brink, who was playing his first game in Colorado since leading the University of Denver to the NCAA championship in 2022, and he banked a pass to Tippett off the boards where he corraled it and scored on his own rebound.
Travis Sanheim made it 3-1 with a shot from the right circle that went blocker side at 11:17 to end a 12-game drought. Manson then shot a point through a double screen of Joel Farabee and Nick Seeler with Joel Kiviranta hanging the net too to cut it to 3-2.
Hart then stood tall and stopped Andrew Cogliano down the middle on a 3-on-1 with 4:35 left in the second period before he made a big save on a Logan O’Connor tip in the slot 4:34 into the third. Nic Deslauriers had a chance on an open net to widen the gap and then Cam Atkinson was stopped on a breakaway before Farabee’s clean-up breakaway chance was also stopped.
But the Flyers kept pushing. After Konecny’s second of the night made it 4-2, Farabee added an insurance goal with Prosvetov pulled out of position. Sanheim carried the puck deep for but couldn’t get a good shot off; it didn’t matter as Brink got the loose puck and fed Farabee for an easy goal.
Ryan Poehling did not play for the second straight game due to illness. The Flyers dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen with Marc Staal returning to the lineup as the extra defenseman. Olle Lycksell was a healthy scratch after making his season debut Thursday.
Next, the Flyers will travel to Nashville and will practice on Monday before facing the Predators on Tuesday at 8 p.m. (NBCSP). For more on the Flyers win against the Avalanche, check out our takeaways in the morning.