Travis Konecny scored his NHL-best sixth short-handed goal midway through the second period and the Philadelphia Flyers kept their playoff chances alive with a 1-0 victory over the visiting New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
The Flyers (38-32-11, 87 points) won their second straight after getting outscored 42-18 in an eight-game losing streak. Philadelphia posted consecutive wins for the first time since a four-game winning streak Feb. 6-12.
Philadelphia moved a point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference for the moment. The Penguins were facing the Boston Bruins later Saturday night.
Konecny scored Philadelphia’s 16th short-handed goal and first since Jan. 6, reaching 400 career points in the process. He also collected a goal and an assist in Thursday’s 4-1 win over the New York Rangers.
Philadelphia goalie Samuel Ersson made 20 saves for his fourth shutout this season and his fifth career shutout. Ersson notched his first shutout since blanking Winnipeg on Jan. 13 and was aided by his teammates blocking 22 New Jersey shots and highlighted his win by coming across the crease to deny rookie Graeme Clarke midway through the first.
The Devils (38-38-5, 81 points) dropped to 2-5-1 in their past eight games and mustered little offense after earning a 6-5 win in Toronto Thursday. New Jersey was blanked for the fourth time this season after scoring 12 goals in the first three meetings with the Flyers.
New Jersey goalie Kappo Kahkonen gave the Devils a chance by stopping 20 shots, but his teammates did not get more than eight shots on goal in any period.
After struggling to put pressure on the Devils, the Flyers broke through with 9:10 left in the second.
Konecny scored when Scott Laughton gained possession in the defensive zone following an errant New Jersey pass and found Nick Seeler. Seeler spotted Konecny streaking through the offensive zone and Philadelphia’s leading scorer finished off the breakaway by lifting a shot from between the circles in the high slot over Kahkonen.
–Field Level Media
