John Tortorella celebrated his first victory as the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers with a warm greeting from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who congratulated him outside the locker room.
“We missed you!” Bettman told the new Flyers coach, who laughed and responded, “See you tomorrow,” as the Flyers awarded him the game puck.
Travis Konecny and Morgan Frost each scored within 23 seconds of each other in the second period, leading the Flyers to a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. Tortorella, who won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay in 2004, was brought in to revitalize a team that finished last in the Metropolitan Division last season.
“I didn’t have any jitters. I was full of anticipation to play,” Tortorella said.
The Flyers played in front of a nearly full arena, with famed ring announcer Michael Buffer energizing the crowd with his “Let’s get ready to rumble!” catchphrase. Phillies manager Rob Thomson and Hall of Famer Eric Lindros also made appearances. Konecny and Frost added third-period goals, Wade Allison scored first, and Carter Hart made 34 saves.
“We were hard to play against,” Hart said. “We were in many lanes on pucks, blocking shots.”
Tortorella emphasized making the Flyers a team that is tough to play against and respected around the league. “I’m not going to hold hands, and I won’t,” he said.
Alexander Holtz scored his first NHL goal to give the Devils a 1-0 lead 8:01 into the game, but Allison quickly tied it. Konecny and Frost scored 23 seconds apart to put the Flyers ahead 3-1. Damon Severson added a goal for the Devils in the third, making it 4-2 before Frost sealed the game with an empty-netter.
“We didn’t play well enough defensively,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “We got on the wrong side of the puck a couple of times. We know we have to play better defensively. That’s our focus.”
BETTMAN’S COMMENTS
Bettman stated that the league would not abandon the upper or lower body designations for injuries, as it protects players who often play through minor injuries. He also expressed confidence in the Flyers’ ownership and commitment to competitiveness.
SANHEIM’S EXTENSION
The Flyers signed defenseman Travis Sanheim to an eight-year, $50 million contract extension. Sanheim, who had seven goals and 31 points last season, is a crucial player for the team, leading the Flyers in plus-minus rating and ranking second in average ice time.
“To be drafted not only by Philly, but in Philly, and now to sign a long-term deal here, it means a lot,” Sanheim said. “I love this city and the fan base, and I’m excited to turn this around and get things going. There’s no better place to win than Philly.”
UP NEXT
- The Devils return home for their opener against Detroit on Saturday.
- The Flyers will play at home on Saturday against Vancouver, coinciding with the Phillies hosting Game 4 of the NLDS across the street.
