Comeback bid can't erase bad 2nd period as Flyers lose to Red Wings

Symbolic of their season so far, the Flyers were too up and down Wednesday night in a 6-4 loss to the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Travis Konecny, Noah Cates, Ryan Poehling and Owen Tippett provided the Flyers' goals. Sean Couturier had two assists.

The Flyers erased a 4-2 deficit just 5:39 minutes into the third period. Tippett tied the game 1:49 minutes after Poehling drew the Flyers within one.

But Patrick Kane put Detroit back ahead not even two minutes later and Lucas Raymond iced the game with an empty-netter.

John Tortorella's club has dropped two straight by a combined score of 10-5. After a 1-5-1 start, the Flyers haven't lost more than three games in a row, but they also haven't won more than three games in a row. Not nearly consistent enough.

This was the first of four games in six days for the Flyers (14-14-4) before the NHL-mandated holiday break.

"These times before holidays, the five, six, seven games, I think they're really important points for the end of the year," Tortorella said Tuesday. "Because I think sometimes players are packed and ready to go somewhere and they forget. We can't forget. We're not good enough.

"We need to grab as many points as we can before we have that Christmas break. We've got four games in six nights here, it's a tough schedule. I'm just hoping we can get some points here, that you go home and you put them in the bank for March and April."

The Flyers are 1-1-0 against the Red Wings (13-14-4). They beat Detroit, 4-1, six days ago. The clubs meet once more Jan. 21 in Philadelphia.

• Samuel Ersson denied 18 of 23 shots. The five goals he surrendered matched the most he has allowed this season.

The 25-year-old hasn't been particularly sharp since returning from a lower-body injury that kept him out of game action for 26 days. He's 1-3-0 with a 3.86 goals-against average and an .828 save percentage in four starts back.

The Flyers were burned Wednesday night by an ugly second period in which they had far too many mistakes.

They fell down 2-1 when a Cam York turnover led to an odd-man rush for the Red Wings. York had little support, forcing him into a stretch pass, which was intercepted.

The 23-year-old defenseman was benched for the third period and finished with only 12:49 minutes. Even with the Flyers having a game Thursday night, Tortorella still rolled with only five defensemen in the final stanza.

More: 'He hasn't played well' — Tortorella benches York for Flyers vs. Kings

Cates tied the game 25 seconds after Detroit took its first lead. But the Flyers surrendered a pair of backbreaking goals in the final 3:55 minutes of the period.

The Red Wings regained their advantage on a Michael Rasmussen shot directly off a faceoff. Joe Veleno then cushioned Detroit's lead 1:22 minutes later on what was pretty much a 3-on-0 for the Red Wings.

Alex Lyon, who spent five seasons in the Flyers' organization, mostly with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, stopped 15 of 19 shots for Detroit.

More: As Flyers' third goalie, Fedotov remembering 'patience' in 'tough situation'

• The Flyers' power play went 0 for 1 and the penalty kill 2 for 3. The PK has given up nine goals over the last eight games. Prior to this, it had allowed just 10 through the first 24 games.

• Matvei Michkov has gone scoreless over the last three games after putting up three goals and seven assists in a season-best five-game point streak.

The 20-year-old rookie had a game-high four shots Wednesday night.

• The Flyers are right back at it Thursday when they host the Kings (7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN+, Hulu).

Tortorella's club is 1-4-0 in the second game of back-to-back sets.

Subscribe anywhere you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | Youtube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Simplecast | RSS | Watch on YouTube