Even teams behind the Flyers in the standings can find a way to beat them when the Philadelphia crew plays loose and easy with the puck.
Such was the case Sunday night in a game played at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona.
The Flyers continued to give the puck away in this game, including the sequence which led to a goal by Arizona’s Clayton Keller with 23 seconds to play in overtime, handing the Flyers a 5-4 loss.
Keller finished the game with a hat trick.
The Flyers are 0-6 in overtime this season.
The Flyers were locked in a 3-3 tie in the third period with the Coyotes when Travis Konecny committed a turnover. That led to a breakaway by Nick Ritchie, who made no mistake with his shot past goaltender Carter Hart at 7:27.
However, Konecny redeemed himself by tying the score at 4-4 with a goal as the clock wound down to 2:17 to play.
Several other times during the game the Flyers gave up the puck at inopportune times.
One bright spot for the Flyers was the play of center Morgan Frost.
It’s safe to say the Flyers have tried just about everything to get Frost going in the early stages of this season.
In this game, something finally clicked.
Frost scored one goal and assisted on three others in the Flyers’ loss.
It was the first four-point game of Frost’s NHL career. In fact, prior to this game, he had never registered more than two points in a game.
After scoring a pair of goals on the opening night of the season, Frost had connected only once in the ensuing 27 games.
However, Frost hit the net at 2:09 of the second period, courtesy of a nice feed from linemate James van Riemsdyk, who won a battle behind the Arizona net.
Then, just 1:59 later, Frost stole the puck from defenseman Jakob Chychrun, triggering a two-on-none rush the other way. Frost dished to JVR for the shot past netminder Karel Vejmelka for a 2-1 lead.
Maybe this performance will get Frost on the track many expected when he began his NHL career a few years ago.
“His legs were moving,’’ coach John Tortorella said. “I thought it (Frost, JVR, Owen Tippett) was a good line. I thought they checked well. They kind of started us with their forechecking. So with Frosty, if his legs are moving and he allows himself to play, he’s pretty effective player.’’
Frost had to be pleased with his performance but obviously there weren’t any celebrations after another tough outcome.
“Obviously you want to start winning some games here,’’ he said. “You get confidence (himself) and the team when you start winning games. It was good to battle back and get a point but we want to start winning some games here, that’s the main focus.’’
Tortorella had Frost out in several key situations, including when Hart was pulled for a sixth attacker and the Flyers pressed for the tying goal in regulation time.
“Whoever’s clicking, who is ever playing well, he (Tortorella) is going to keep playing,’’ Frost said. “I think that’s the goal, to play well during the game and then you’re put in those situations.’’
Van Riemsdyk also finished the game with a goal and three assists.
Arizona opened the scoring with the first of those three goals by Keller at 12:46 of the initial period. Keller’s long shot found its way through a screen past Hart. The power-play goal was just the Coyotes’ second in the last 30 attempts.
The Coyotes tied it on a breakaway goal by Keller at 7:45. Then Jack McBain poked in a deflected puck at 10:21 for a 3-2 lead.
But the Flyers rallied again on a goal from Owen Tippett with 1:18 left in the period. Tippett fired home a long shot with Frost getting credit on this goal as well.
>Short shots
The Flyers have given up the first goal in 22 of 29 games. . .Philadelphia resumes action on Tuesday night when it plays the third game of this four-game road trip at Colorado. . .Tony DeAngelo was scratched due to a personal matter involving his family.
