Comeback Bid Falls Short As Skidding Flyers Suffer Tough Ot Loss

Comeback bid falls short as skidding Flyers suffer tough OT loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

A desperate Flyers team wasn’t able to complete a comeback effort Saturday afternoon.

They stomached another loss, this one a 3-2 overtime decision to the Kings at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny scored the Flyers’ goals. Konecny’s marker tied the game 25 seconds into the third period. With a chance to win it in OT, Konecny couldn’t convert on a breakaway, hitting the right post.

“I’ve got to put it away there in overtime,” Konecny said.

Quinton Byfield scored the OT winner for Los Angeles. The Flyers fell to 2-7 in overtime.

The Flyers (24-20-10) are on a four-game losing streak, a stretch in which they’ve been outscored 18-8.

Rick Tocchet’s club has dropped 11 of its last 13 games (2-8-3) and has allowed 4.46 goals per game over that span.

The Flyers’ slide has been a precipitous one. They were in third place Jan. 6 after an emotion-filled win over the Ducks. Now, they’re in seventh place with 28 games to go. They entered Saturday eight points back of the third-place Islanders.

“Maybe you guys are doubting us; we are not doubting ourselves,” Dan Vladar said. “We are a confident group, we know this is just a stretch, it comes for every team. Even if you look at Tampa, they didn’t start well, obviously they’re hot now. It’s every team.

“It’s just up to us, we have a young group. It’s up to the older guys, including myself, just to bring up the energy here, the confidence. We still believe, the season’s not over.”

The Flyers see the Kings (23-17-13) again March 19 when they visit Los Angeles.

• Vladar made 18 saves on 21 shots.

In a span of 3:58 minutes during the first period, the Flyers fell behind 2-0. Adrian Kempe scored both goals for the Kings.

On the first one, Vladar was scrambling to get back up to his feet as Kempe fired from the slot 3:10 minutes into the game. On the second, the Flyers lost Kempe streaking through the middle for a one-timer.

The Flyers somehow prevented a total unraveling in the first period. The Kings had a third goal taken off the board after the Flyers’ coach’s challenge showed the play was offside.

Tocchet’s club also committed a pair of penalties, but was able to kill them off.

The Flyers turned it up in the second period. Zegras struck on the power play just 39 seconds into the period, cutting the Flyers’ deficit to 2-1.

Vladar was able to find his game. In the middle stanza, he made a huge stop on a Los Angeles breakaway just after the Flyers’ power play came up empty. The save kept the game 2-1.

Aleksei Kolosov was recalled from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley to back up Vladar. Samuel Ersson left the Flyers’ 6-3 loss Thursday night to the Bruins after two periods with a lower-body injury. There has been no further word on his status.

Los Angeles netminder Darcy Kuemper stopped 19 of the Flyers’ 21 shots.

• Zegras rediscovered his offense when the Flyers were starving for it.

The 24-year-old didn’t have a point over the previous four games, but he ended that slump with his 20th goal of the season.

That goal early in the second period seemed to energize the Flyers and it certainly relieved some pressure.

But the Flyers had to settle for just one point and another tough loss.

• The Flyers are back in action Tuesday when they host the Capitals (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).