The Flyers relinquished a 1-0 third-period lead Friday night en route to suffering a 2-1 overtime loss to the Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena.
Playing on the second night of a back-to-back set with travel, the Flyers appeared to run out of gas as Seattle made an ardent push.
Carter Hart converted three saves in overtime before the Kraken got him for the winner. Justin Schultz snuck behind the Flyers and finished off a pass from Oliver Bjorkstrand.
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Considering the circumstances, the Flyers (19-11-5) will absolutely take the point. They've been able to consistently grab points, doing so in 12 of their last 13 games (8-1-4) and 18 of their last 22 (14-4-4).
Friday night marked the ninth time they had gone to OT in their last 15 games. They've been competitive and lived on the edge quite a bit, going 7-4-5 in games decided by one goal this season. Last season, they were 13-8-13.
John Tortorella recorded his 1,500th career game as an NHL head coach. He became the first U.S.-born coach to hit the milestone and only the eighth coach in NHL history to reach it.
In Year 2 with the Flyers, Tortorella has his rebuilding team holding a playoff spot through 35 games. Close to 23 years ago, he got his full-time start in Tampa Bay, where he built the Lightning into a Stanley Cup champion.
Seattle is on a season-best run of four straight wins and eight consecutive games of earning a point (6-0-2).
The Flyers and Kraken (14-14-9) wrap up their two-game regular-season series Feb. 10 in Philadelphia.
• In 2019-20, the last time the Flyers made the playoffs, they were 19-11-5 through 35 games. They had scored 108 goals and given up 96.
This season, in 35 games, the Flyers are 19-11-5, have scored 103 goals and given up 94.
Eerily similar.
Last season, the Flyers were 11-17-7 through 35 games. So they've made considerable strides this season and have been highly competitive on the road, going 9-1-3 with a plus-14 goal differential in their last 13 games away from home.
While the Flyers could use some more offense, especially on the power play, playing this many close games can't be a bad thing for the growth of their younger players.
• After playing well in relief duty Thursday night to help the Flyers close out a 4-1 win over the Canucks, Hart started against Seattle and recorded 27 saves.
The only goal he allowed in regulation came on a Kraken power play. Vince Dunn tied the game 5:45 minutes into the third period when his blast appeared to change direction off of Nick Seeler, who was trying to block the shot.
Hart and Samuel Ersson have been very reliable for the Flyers.
Seattle netminder Joey Daccord stopped 27 of the Flyers' 28 shots.
Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny dialed up another shorthanded goal to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the first period. But the Flyers' power play went 0 for 3 on the night.
Through 35 games, the Flyers' penalty kill has produced nine goals, only three shy of the power play's 12.
• As Tortorella learned the Flyers last year, he nailed his decision of making Konecny a penalty killer.
The 26-year-old winger leads the NHL with seven shorthanded goals over the last two seasons. He has flourished with all-situation responsibility.
"It's shocking to me that he never killed penalties," Tortorella said 11 days ago. "When we started with him killing penalties, it was new to him, he said he has never done it before. I think his inner confidence has grown that he can be a great player; not a good player, that he can be a great player. And that he can put some people on his shoulders and carry."
With the game-opening shorthanded marker Friday night, Konecny is now on pace for 40 goals this season.
He had to exit Thursday night's game in the third period because of an illness. Against the Kraken, he blocked a shot with his right foot during the second period, which left him in pain throughout the rest of the game.
• The Flyers are back at it Sunday when they visit the Flames for a New Year's Eve matchup (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
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