The Flyers aren't heading into 2024 on a real high.
They suffered a 4-3 loss to the Flames on New Year's Eve at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta.
John Tortorella's team scored a couple of goals with its net emptied, but the desperate push wasn't enough to swipe a point.
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Somewhat quietly, the Flyers have lost four of their last five games (1-2-2).
They're 19-12-5 overall and 7-5-5 in games decided by one goal.
Sunday night marked the Flyers' first regulation loss on the road since Nov. 22.
With his first goal of the season, Rasmus Ristolainen gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead under halfway through the first period. But that was their only lead of the night.
NHL
The club's last-ranked power play went 0 for 4, dropping to 12 for 114 on the season.
The Flyers and Flames (15-16-5) wrap up their two-game regular-season series in six days at the Wells Fargo Center.
• Four losses in the last five games. Are the Flyers coming back to earth? Is it time to panic?
No, but the Flyers definitely look tired and they don't want to let any bleeding get worse. They've done a nice job so far at preventing skids. Their longest losing streak is three. They lost four of five to finish November, but responded well to it.
They need do it again to begin January. They still have plenty to prove.
The positives for the Flyers is they've been competitive from start to finish and have points in 12 of their last 14 games (8-2-4).
• Samuel Ersson was the Flyers' best player through the first two periods against Calgary.
The 24-year-old finished with 29 saves on 32 shots.
The Flames cracked Ersson with 1:39 minutes left in the second period. Mikael Backlund won a puck battle against Bobby Brink and was rewarded for it six seconds later when he laced home a one-timer from the slot.
That made it a 1-1 game at second intermission. It felt like only a matter of time before Calgary would get its equalizer. The Flames were starting to dictate the game and Ersson was finding a way to fend them off.
Dennis Gilbert handed Calgary the lead when he was left alone in the circle 7:29 minutes into the third period. Seven minutes later, at 4-on-4, Nazem Kadri cushioned the Flames' lead to 3-1 on an odd-man rush.
Calgary netminder Jacob Markstrom stopped 28 of the Flyers' 31 shots.
Brink and Egor Zamula scored the Flyers' late goals. Travis Konecny had assists on both of them.
Cam Atkinson had a helper on Brink's marker, but saw his goal-scoring drought hit 21 straight games.
• The Flyers open 2024 against Connor McDavid and the Oilers on Tuesday in Edmonton, Alberta (9 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
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