Felix Sandstrom
As the Flyers have lost three straight and 12 of their last 15 games, the Vegas Golden Knights sit atop the Western Conference standings and has won six of their last seven games.
An early power-play goal proved to be the difference, as the Flyers were held off the board by Pyotr Kochetkov and the Hurricanes in a 1-0 loss.
The Hurricanes have won eight of their last 10 games entering Thursday, while the Flyers have lost nine of their last 11 games.
For as much scrutiny as Chuck Fletcher faces, Ron Hextall’s drafts have shown the Flyers inability to build a core that lasted well into the future. The minor trade involving Isaac Ratcliffe was further proof.
After making it a 3-3 game early in the third, the Jets scored the go-ahead goal with 11:16 left in a 5-3 Flyers loss on Sunday night.
The Flyers begin the first of four games remaining until the All-Star break against the Winnipeg Jets, a team ranked sixth in the NHL standings.
The emergence of Samuel Ersson has given the Flyers a good problem to have. But a decision looms on who stays with the Flyers moving forward.
Samuel Ersson picked up his third straight win and made 28 saves in a 4-1 win for the Flyers over the Ducks.
Ersson allowed a goal on the first shot he faced in his NHL career and was eventually pulled after allowing five goals. In relief, Hart was back in goal, until he was forced to exit with an injury, sending Ersson back in during a whirlwind 6-5 loss for the Flyers to the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.
Before reaching the break, the Flyers will face a red-hot Carolina Hurricanes team that has won seven straight games, 11 of their last 12, and has not lost in regulation since Nov. 23.
