Flyers Vs. Blue Jackets: John Tortorella's Club Increases Win Streak To 5 - NBC Sports Philadelphia

John Tortorella said the Flyers won’t forget the win as they rebuild.

“Because you don’t teach your young players the right way to play if you don’t try to win,” the head coach said on Friday.

Well, the Flyers have tried to win, rattling off five straight wins, most recently a 5-2 decision Sunday night over the Blue Jackets at Wells Fargo Center.

A day after beating the defending champion Golden Knights 4-3 in overtime, the Flyers did a little of everything against Columbus. They scored three goals at even strength, one on the power play and the other while shorthanded.

Ryan Poehling (one goal, two assists), Joel Farabee (one goal, one assist), Cam York (one goal, one assist) and Sean Walker (two assists) all scored multiple points.

Travis Konecny scored the decisive victory in the third period with his eleventh goal of the season. York ended the scoring with an empty-net goal.

The Flyers (10-7-1) have outscored their opponents 22-11 during their five-game run and have yet to trail.

“I think we had trouble managing some games early on,” Tortorella said. “The way I look at it, I think as a coach you say to yourself, ‘Maybe they’ve learned their lesson.’ It’s not like we work out things like how to manage games. It’s a mindset when you’re in those momentum swings during a game. It’s not something you can call a time out and work it out. Hopefully they feel more and more comfortable to be in and try to get on the right side.

This streak marks the first time the Flyers have won five or more games in a row since the 2019-20 season, the last time they made the playoffs.

“All I try to do with the coaching staff and the club is to be consistent every day,” Tortorella said. “And I think things will sort themselves out. Just a few weeks ago we were struggling and finding ways to lose games. Take care of these things. I’m happy for you.”

In his return to Philadelphia, Ivan Provorov recorded an assist and a plus-1 rating for the Blue Jackets (4-11-4).

Columbus has suffered nine straight losses, with six of the losses coming by one goal.

• Farabee, Poehling and Bobby Brink, all on the same line, gave the Flyers a youthful night on Sunday.

The 23-year-old Farabee opened the game with a beautiful backhand shot in the first period. The Flyers improved to 10-1-0 in games in which they scored first.

The 24-year-old Poehling continued to operate more on the offensive. His goal in the shootout cut the Flyers’ lead to 3-1 in the second period.

“I think Torts will always be honest with you, right?” said Pöhling. “I appreciate it, and even when I was feeling bad, he told me to just hang in there. Having his trust and producing the way I did was good.”

The 22-year-old Yorker also had a big night at the back.

• Brink rewarded Tortorella for his decision to bring the 22-year-old back into the lineup.

After three healthy scratches in a row, Brink gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead just 1:11 minutes into the second period. He scored a power play goal, giving him nine points (four goals, five assists) in 14 games this season.

“I have to get Bobby in, but I have to find a better time than when I’m thinking about the team,” Tortorella said Friday after practice.

When Tortorella called Brink’s number, she injured Morgan Frost. It must have been hard for Frost to bear. He had four points (two goals, two assists) and a plus-3 rating in four games prior to his previous healthy zero. Although the 24-year-old center went scoreless on Saturday, he blocked four shots in the Flyers’ win.

So far this season, Frost has played in 10 games and sat out eight of them.

John Tortorella spoke to the media after the Flyers’ 5-2 victory over the Blue Jackets, the team’s fifth straight win.

• Samuel Ersson made 20 saves for his second straight win.

“A few wins here give me more confidence in my game and my style of play,” said the 24-year-old.

Alexandre Texier tied the game in the first period before Brink quickly gave the Flyers the lead back in the middle stanza.

Boone Jenner’s goal came with 2:03 left in the second period. There was great chaos in front of the net.

Blue Jackets backup Spencer Martin stopped 21 of the Flyers’ 25 shots.

• The Flyers went 3-for-8 on the power play over the weekend after going 4-for-53 this season.

• After playing seven seasons in Philadelphia, Provorov returned to the Wells Fargo Center for the first time as a visitor.

With the Flyers, Provorov played 532 of 535 possible games. There were high expectations for him as a 19-year-old rookie after being drafted seventh overall in 2015. As the Flyers entered a rebuild over the last three seasons, Provorov became the first trade of Danny Briere’s offseason work this summer.

“When you get drafted and spend a long time with a team, you don’t really imagine playing with anyone else, especially if you take your business seriously and all that,” the 26-year-old defenseman said before the Game on Sunday game. “But obviously the last few years haven’t gone the way everyone wanted, so it was disappointing at the same time. On the other hand, it was exciting to have a new team looking forward to you and excited to give you the opportunity to show who you are as a player.”

Provorov’s assist on Jenner’s goal cut the Flyers’ lead to 3-2 at the second intermission.

Ivan Provorov throws a puck to a fan and waves to him.
Provorov, who played 532 games in seven years for the Flyers, is playing his first game in Philly as a guest. pic.twitter.com/DHGictVFQD
– Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) November 19, 2023

• Although veteran defender Marc Staal was cleared to return from an upper-body injury on Friday, he was not included in the squad at the weekend.

• The Flyers are scheduled to practice at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday in Voorhees, New Jersey, before visiting the Islanders on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).