Flyers answer coaching change with skid-snapping win over Canadiens originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
After going through a coaching change 10 hours before puck drop, the Flyers responded with a 6-4 win Thursday night over the Canadiens at the Wells Fargo Center.
News broke about an hour and a half before the team’s morning skate that John Tortorella had been fired.
The Flyers went on to have a three-goal first period en route to ending a six-game losing streak.
Sean Couturier and Matvei Michkov each tallied two markers on the night, while Nicolas Deslauriers and Tyson Foerster also found the back of the net.
Prior to the skid-snapping win, the Flyers (29-36-9) had lost 11 of their last 12 games (1-10-1), a stretch in which they were outscored 52-21. They had won just six times in their last 25 games (6-16-3).
Last season, the Flyers’ rebuild was surprisingly a part of the playoff race. This season, after playing .500 hockey at best and trading five players to supplement the future, the Flyers have fallen toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Internally, before the season, the Flyers felt a drop-off was possible.
“I think there was a reality there that we knew there was a good chance we would take a step back,” general manager Danny Briere said Thursday. “And unfortunately it happened.”
The Canadiens (33-29-9) came in holding the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot by one point.
• Players often have a strong response when a coach gets fired and the Flyers definitely did Thursday night.
Couturier (two goals, one assist) and Michkov (two goals, one assist) had multi-point performances. Ten Flyers recorded at least a point.
It was the Flyers’ first regulation win since Feb. 25, when they also scored six goals.
• Cam York suited up and was on the bench but did not play. We’ll find out more from interim head coach Brad Shaw after the game.
The 24-year-old defenseman was benched by Tortorella early in the Flyers’ 7-2 loss Tuesday night to the Maple Leafs.
• Ersson converted 25 saves on 29 shots to beat Montreal.
Canadiens netminder Jakub Dobes stopped 24 of the Flyers’ 30 shots.
• The Flyers’ power play delivered its first goal in March. It had gone 0 for 34 this month before Couturier broke the drought with his second goal of the night.
• Garnet Hathaway (undisclosed) and Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body) remained out.
• The Flyers are back in action Saturday when they host the Sabres (1 p.m. ET/NBCSP).