No new year, new me for the Flyers, who fall to the Oilers for third straight loss

EDMONTON, Alberta — The Flyers entered Game No. 1 of 2024 hoping the change in years would also change their fortunes.

It did not.

One of the NHL’s top away teams, the Flyers lost their third straight, 5-2 to the Edmonton Oilers, to close out a four-game Western road trip. They have just one win in their past six games (1-3-2).

It also didn’t help that they were facing the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisatil, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. The quad combined for 13 points.

McDavid gave the Oilers a 1-0 lead just 15 minutes, 55 seconds into the first period from the right circle. As McDavid and Hyman crossed in the Flyers’ zone, Hyman’s skate clipped Travis Sanheim causing the defenseman to spiral out. It gave McDavid all the room he needed to beat Carter Hart five-hole for his 14th of the season.

Hyman made it 2-0 in the second period when he got behind the defense and was fed a beauty of a no-look backhand pass by, none other than, McDavid. Hyman scored on a nifty backhand as he cut across the crease.

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John Tortorella jumbled his lines for this one with Nic Deslauriers being a healthy scratch, and while it didn’t spark much at times, the trio of Joel Farabee, Sean Couturier, and Travis Konecny did click twice.

Konecny cut it to 2-1 just under three minutes after Hyman scored with his 18th. Off a defensive zone play by Couturier, the speedy winger cut to the middle and took a touch pass by Farabee as he streaked by Mattias Ekholm and stick handled before scoring high glove side.

Marc Staal tied things up with three minutes to go in the middle frame. The defenseman, who notched his first as a member of the Flyers, joined the rush down the left side and scored glove side. But the tie game was short-lived when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored all alone in front on the power play off a pass from McDavid. He added another one in the third period.

Flyers played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Deslauriers was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. ... McDavid’s first assist of the night gave him 900 points in 602 games. ... Konecny extended his road point streak to nine games and is the first Flyers player since Eric Lindros (1995-97) to record road point streaks of nine or more games in consecutive seasons.

The Flyers head home to the Wells Fargo Center and will host Johnny Gaudreau and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).