The Flyers fell to the Dallas Stars 3-2 in overtime last night. As the woes of inconsistency continue to plague the team, there were at least some bright spots for fans to cling to.
Flyers vs Stars recap
In the first frame, Thomas Harley started off the scoring for Dallas, getting the puck past Ivan Fedotov. Esa Lindell gave the Stars a 2-0 lead a few minutes later. Fedotov allowed two goals on three shots, only making one save.
This was an issue. Therefore, the Flyers put Sam Ersson to start the second frame. The second frame was one of the best periods of hockey the Flyers played in a while, as Konecny and Ryan Poehling both scored, giving Philadelphia life again, and this now tied 2-2 game. After a scoreless third period, the winner was decided in overtime. However, it only took Harley nine seconds to connect the puck to the back of Philadelphia’s net, giving the Stars the victory and two points.
Travis Konecny breaks through
Flyers‘ forward Travis Konecny was due for a goal, and in last night’s contest against the Dallas Stars, the right winger was able to capitalize. Konecny’s last goal came against the Penguins on February 8th in Pittsburgh; since then, Konecny hasn’t been able to connect the puck to the back of the net…but that all changed against the Stars. While Konecny is still the team’s point leader with 66, the frustration set in for him throughout a tough seven-game homestand where he had plenty of opportunities, but couldn’t get the outcome he wanted.
Last season, Konecny scored 33 goals in 76 games, a career-high for most goals in a season. Right now, after 71 games, Konecny has 23 goals. This is on par with how he was doing for the majority of his career, as in 2017-2018, he played 81 games and posted 24 goals. matching that goal tally in each of the next two seasons. The 24-goal curse was real for Konecny as he was finally able to get over the hump in 2022-2023 with 31 goals before his career-high last season. While 23 goals with 11 games remaining make getting in the 30-goal range a bit challenging, the forward needed the extra momentum boost he gained today.
After the loss, Konecny said, “I know you guys want to talk about the goal, but obviously, you guys know how we work. It’s frustrating when we don’t get the win.” The Flyers are frustrated, as they have lost the last four games and are 1-8-1 in their previous ten games. The Flyers have an opportunity to get back on the win column as they’re getting set to head to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks, who fell to the St. Louis Blues today 4-1. Chicago has now lost their last seven games.
Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
