A Silver Lining in Flyers’ Latest Loss (Hint: It’s Draft-Related)

For the Philadelphia Flyers, the picture takes center stage.

After topping for most of the season and getting caught up in playoff talk, the Flyers have lost three straight games. There is now no question that they will be sellers by the March 3rd close.

They were never in the game in their most recent loss, a 6-2 setback in Seattle on Thursday.

In their two-year existence, the Kraken have put together a significantly better team than the Flyers. Smart trades and signings have helped immensely.

Now it’s up to general manager Chuck Fletcher to take some steps and put the Philadelphia Flyers on a similar path to Seattle, which plays with speed and an intrusive mentality on defense. They’re a lot quicker on the puck than the Flyers.

In two losses to the Kraken (31-18-6) this season, the Flyers (22-24-10) only managed 18 and 19 shots, respectively.

The Kraken have the third fewest shots allowed per game (27.9) in the NHL.

Flyers coach John Tortorella was in no mood to discuss his team’s recent loss.

“It’s pretty self-explanatory from what you saw out there, so you don’t need my comments,” he said. “I will not talk about my hockey team after such a performance. It’s no use to me, it’s no use to the team. Those are the people I worry about the most.”

The Flyers conceded two power play goals and gave up another on a late penalty. They also gave up a shorthanded goal.

“We just weren’t sharp,” said left winger James van Riemsdyk about his turnover-plagued team. “I don’t know what we want to blame for that, whether it’s the journey or we just weren’t ready.”

Or Seattle is just so much better.

Win the draft lottery

There are two ways to look at the Flyers’ three-game skid. Yes, they’ve practically fallen out of the playoff hunt, but they’re at least gaining ground in the draft lottery.

The Flyers had recently been the league’s 22nd-best team; They’re 25 now. They’re the eighth worst team in the NHL.

If they stayed in that position, they would have a 6% chance of winning the draft lottery and picking generational center Connor Bedard, according to tankathon.com. Columbus (18.5%) and Chicago (13.5%) have the best odds.

On the ice, Travis Konecny’s two goals were the only positive to emerge from Thursday’s disaster. He went on a 13-game streak without a goal and now has a career-high 26 goals.

Konecny ​​​​is the first flyer with more than 25 goals in a season. Sean Couturier (33) and van Riemsdyk (27) both made it in 2018-19.

Runaway

Bedard, 17, has 96 points (48 goals, 48 ​​assists) for Regina in 39 WHL games. … The Flyers play in Vancouver Saturday night (21:30:4). Only four NHL teams have fewer points than the Canucks. … Konecny ​​had eight shot attempts (three on goal) on Thursday. … Noah Cates, who had two assists, sits seventh among NHL rookies with 24 points.

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