Couturier effective in return, Flyers grab big win over Bruins

With Sean Couturier back in the lineup, the Flyers picked up a thrilling 3-2 win Saturday afternoon over the Bruins at the Wells Fargo Center.

Travis Konecny scored his 29th and 30th goals of the season. Tyson Foerster buried the game-winner with 1:31 minutes left.

Konecny broke the ice late in the second period with a power play goal. During the third period, he put the Flyers back in front, 2-1, before Danton Heinen got it back 56 seconds later.

It all set up for Foerster’s heroics. The rookie winger had an assist, as well.

“We never give up,” Foerster said. “We always stick together.”

The Flyers (36-26-9) have earned at least a point in three straight games (2-0-1).

John Tortorella’s club is 2-2-1 in this grueling seven-game stretch against contenders. It has the Panthers and Rangers remaining.

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The Flyers now have 12 wins over top-10 clubs. They went 1-2-0 against the Bruins (41-16-15) in their three-game regular-season series. After allowing 12 goals over the first two meetings, the Flyers limited Boston this time.

“High marks,” Tortorella said. “That’s a really good hockey team obviously. I thought we stood right in there and played a really good third period.”

Since the 2021-22 season, the Flyers have gone 2-7-0 against the Bruins.

The Flyers now have 12 wins over top-10 clubs:

Beat Bruins, 3-2
Beat Canucks, 2-0
Beat Canucks, 4-1
Beat Avalanche, 5-2
Beat Hurricanes, 3-1
Beat Stars, 5-1
Beat Panthers, 2-1
Beat Panthers, 2-1
Beat Jets, 2-0
Beat Jets, 4-1
Beat Oilers, 4-1
Beat Maple Leafs, 4-3

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) March 23, 2024

• Couturier returned to the lineup after a two-game benching.

“It’s behind me now,” he said of the consecutive healthy scratches. “I don’t want to really talk about it. I just want to help the team in any way I can. It all worked out well, we got three out of four points and now five out of six. I thought as a team we all responded real well.”

The Flyers’ captain played well on the fourth line with Noah Cates and Olle Lycksell. It may have been the Flyers’ most effective line.

The trio had sustained time in the offensive zone, created some looks and drew the penalty to set up Konecny’s man advantage marker.

“I thought they checked well. I thought the line played really well,” Tortorella said. “I think Lycksell is a guy that the more and more I see him, it’s something that we’re interested in as far as what he can be. He’s had some scoring chances, too, but the other side of the puck, I think he has played pretty well.

“All three of those guys, I’d start them in the offensive zone most of the time, they had some shifts against their top lines and I think they did a pretty good job.”

Nicolas Deslauriers, Cam Atkinson, Denis Gurianov and Marc Staal were healthy scratches.

• With 11 games to go, the Flyers are in third place of the Metropolitan Division, a spot they’ve held since the end of January. They entered Saturday with a 75.4 percent chance to make the playoffs, per Hockey-Reference.com’s probabilities report.

After Saturday’s win, they’re four points ahead of the Capitals and six up on the Islanders. Washington has played two fewer games than the Flyers and New York one fewer. The Flyers have one more matchup with each team.

The Flyers Postgame Live crew broke down the team’s 3-2 win Saturday afternoon over the Bruins.

• Samuel Ersson recorded 18 saves on 20 shots. He has stopped 75 of 83 shots in the Flyers’ three-game point streak.

“I think all year we have been playing good against top teams,” the 24-year-old rookie said. “Obviously you have to respect them, but we know what we can do, we’re a good team, as well. We have to believe that and go out and prove it every night.”

Boston tied the game a little over midway through the third period with a goal from Justin Brazeau. It came on the Flyers’ third defensive pair of Egor Zamula and Erik Johnson. Brazeau finished with a good move on Ersson.

Konecny was almost the hero but Heinen stunned the Flyers to make it 2-2. Morgan Geekie somehow snuck a cross-ice pass through the Flyers’ coverage.

The Flyers were able to hold David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand scoreless.

Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark stopped 26 of the Flyers’ 29 shots. He was solid through two periods but Boston needed him to be better late.

One minute and 16 seconds after Konecny scored in the middle frame, Johnson laid out and made an excellent defensive play to ignite a Scott Laughton breakaway. But Ullmark made a flashy glove save to keep the Bruins within one at second intermission.

“I don’t think you guys realize how big of a play that was,” Konecny said of Johnson’s effort. “Because there was a breakdown and you know dangerous their team can be. It was huge.”

Johnson, who the Flyers acquired at the trade deadline, also had high praise for Konecny.

“From what I knew before, a great competitor, really good at getting under a team’s skin,” the veteran defenseman said. “There’s a fine line, right? You don’t want to go over that line and hurt your team, but you want to play on the edge and be that thorn in the other team’s side. For T.K., he has got that skill and that abrasiveness. It has really helped our group.”

• The Flyers are right back at it Sunday when they host Florida (6 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).