Flyers Turning Point: Travis Konecny Saves the Season? (+)

No player on the Philadelphia Flyers is under the spotlight more than Travis Konecny.

In the Flyers’ last two games, Konecny performed when the lights shined the brightest, and it might have saved the season. Ultimately, that will be determined on Tuesday.

Until then, though, it’s Konecny’s short-handed goal that gave Tuesday’s game against Washington any semblance of meaning. It was the difference in Saturday night’s 1-0 win over New Jersey, and who knows what happens if the Flyers have to compete with New Jersey’s stars in 3-on-3.

So, how did the goal that saved the Flyers‘ season come about? It’s a combination of luck and a bit of elbow grease.

New Jersey actually successfully gained zone entry on their power play, as Jesper Bratt and Dawson Mercer executed a one-two in the neutral zone before the puck was deferred to Nico Hischier on the wall.

Hischier, however, foolishly attempted to go cross-ice through some traffic, and his pass attempt was deflected high up into the air by Erik Johnson. Konecny and Scott Laughton, who were penalty killing for the Flyers, both flew the zone in anticipation that Nick Seeler had successfully recovered the loose puck behind them.

He didn’t.

Seeler went the extra mile to make the play happen, though, going full extension across the surface of the ice to swat the puck away from Mercer and into Laughton’s vicinity, giving the Flyers possession in transition.

Once Laughton secured the puck, he quickly realized that Luke Hughes, the last man back, was slightly overcommitted to him, leaving a large chunk of space for Konecny to skate into. Laughton made a deft backhand pass onto Konecny’s blade, sending him in on the break all alone.

Konecny beat Kaapo Kahkonen on the low glove side to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead, and the rest is history.

How did the players on the ice see and think the play?