BREAKOUT SEASON: Flyers’ Travis Konecny is on Fire

Philadelphia Flyers right winger Travis Konecny has been his team’s most consistent player this season. By far.

Fact is, he has been one of the league’s most explosive forwards.

Konecny has 21 goals and 41 points in 34 games. He has a staggering 16 goals in his last 20 games. For the season, he is averaging 0.61 goals per game.

That’s more than Sidney Crosby (0.53), more than Leon Draisaitl (0.56), more than Mark Scheifele (0.59).

In fact, it’s more that all but eight NHL players, and close behind Alex Ovechkin (0.69).

He became the third Philadelphia Flyers player in the last 20 years to collect 20 goals in 33 games or fewer. The others: Simon Gagne in 2005-06, and Jeff Carter in 2008-09.

Konecny, 25, who has goals in six straight games, downplays his scoring spree.

“Honestly, I’m just trying to play the right way, trying to be responsible,” he said the other day. “… I’m getting a lot of puck luck.”

He is on pace for 42 goals, but was bypassed (so far) from the Metro All-Star team. His career high is 24 goals, done three times. He finished with 16 goals last year.

PHN: Will Fans Add Konecny or Hart to All-Star Team?

Konecny, who has 11 points in his last six games, scored another goal Sunday night, but the Flyers fell to visiting Toronto, 6-2, and had their four-game winning streak snapped.

The Philadelphia Flyers will try to rebound Monday in Buffalo.

“That’s the best thing about hockey — you get right back at it,” Konecny said. “Usually a day or the day after. Just reboot.”

Tortorella tidbits

• Philadelphia Flyers coach John Tortorella has been rotating Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen on the top and third pairings, depending on whether Justin Braun or Nick Seeler are in the lineup. He said it’s beneficial to have York play both sides and be more versatile.
• Before Sunday’s game, Tortorella said he was pleased with the recent pairing of Travis Sanheim and Tony DeAngelo.”I think Sanny is playing more aggressively offensively with Tony. They’ve worked off each other really well,” he said. That was before he benched DeAngelo for most of the game after his four giveaways.
• Ristolainen’s offense has disappeared. A four-time 40-point-plus scorer in Buffalo, he has two points in 33 games. But Tortorella isn’t disappointed because his defense has improved. “I want him (to have) stick on puck, being physical, playing under the hashmark the right way. I think he’s improved tremendously there,” Tortorella said. “The offense that comes off of that, to me, that’s s bonus.”
• The coach said Risto’s points dropoff doesn’t hurt much because the addition of York and DeAngelo gives the Flyers more offense from the back end.
• Tortorella said center Noah Cates’ offense will keep getting better, and he is extremely happy with his defense and play without the puck.