Flyers’ Travis Konecny was brought back too soon from COVID-19, Alain Vigneault hints. He didn’t have a full practice.
After Tuesday’s loss, Konecny said, “I definitely feel a little out of it,” but added he would be back to normal after playing more games and getting more puck touches.
If Flyers coach Alain Vigneault could have a do-over, he sounded as if he wouldn’t have played right winger Travis Konecny in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss in Pittsburgh.
Konecny was coming off a tough battle with the coronavirus, and he had not had a full practice since he came off the COVD-19 list and was put in Tuesday’s lineup. He played a regular shift and was used on the power play.
Vigneault said he put Konecny in a “very tough situation. ... That’s on me,” he said after Thursday’s morning skate in Pittsburgh, where the Flyers were preparing to again face the Penguins that night.
After Tuesday’s loss, Konecny said, “I definitely feel a little out of it,” but added he would be back to normal after playing more games and getting more puck touches.
Konecny looked more like himself in Thursday’s 4-3 comeback win over the Penguins. In 16:36 of ice time, he had two assists, two shots, a plus-1 rating, and whipped a pair of first-period shots off iron.
On Tuesday, he was used on the fourth, third and second lines, and had two shots and a minus-1 rating in 15:46.
He started on the second line on Thursday alongside Kevin Hayes and Scott Laughton.
Konecny played on the second line Thursday, alongside Kevin Hayes and Scott Laughton.
Fans in Philly
The Flyers will play their first home game with fans in nearly a year Sunday night when they host Washington. A “sellout” crowd of 3,100 is expected.
“Even though we have limited capacity right now, we will not try to make up this lost revenue at the expense of our fans. There will be no price increases on our tickets,” said Mike Shane, chief business officer of the Flyers and the Wells Fargo Center. “We have the most loyal, passionate fans in hockey. They’ve stuck with us throughout this pandemic, and we can’t wait to have them back.”
Breakaways
In their first six games together, the line of Sean Couturier, James van Riemsdyk and Joel Farabee combined for 10 goals, 23 points, and a plus-10 rating. ... Couturier took a career-best seven-game points streak into Thursday. ... The Flyers and Penguins will conclude the three-game series, the first for both teams in regular-season franchise history, on Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh. ... Vigneault said Nolan Patrick has been working hard and has been defensively sound, “I just wanted him to be a little grittier in those battles inside,” he said. “But with him and Oskar [Lindblom], we have to show patience with those guys coming back when you’re out for that length of time.”