Flyers suffer gut-wrenching finish for 7th straight loss

The skidding Flyers felt more sting Saturday night in a demoralizing 3-2 loss to the Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center.

A hearty contingent of New York fans made the trip to South Philly and enjoyed a comeback victory.

Cam York scored his first career NHL goal to stake the Flyers to a 2-1 third-period lead, but New York ripped it away in fewer than three and a half minutes.

Filip Chytil knotted the score 37 seconds after York's marker before Chris Kreider provided the Rangers' game-winner.

The Flyers (13-17-7) have lost seven straight games (0-5-2).

Since starting 6-2-2, the Flyers have gone 7-15-5 with a minus-36 goal differential. They're 5-7-3 under interim head coach Mike Yeo, who has had nothing easy in this situation.

"It's real difficult when you're sitting here in a losing streak like this and you've got an opportunity to win," Yeo said. "It's obviously an emotional loss but I think that what we have to make sure we do as coaches is take the lessons that we have from this game and point [them out] to the players. And then we just have to be real strong through this."

The Rangers (25-10-4) have taken the first two matchups from the Flyers in the four-game regular-season series. They've yet to lose in regulation when tied after the second period, improving to 11-0-1.

• It would be tough to fault the Flyers' effort. They've worked hard through the neutral zone and into the defensive zone. They defend hard but they've had to defend a lot.

And they're starving for offense. Since the NHL-mandated holiday break, the Flyers have scored 2.13 goals per game and gone 1-5-2.

These are areas in which Ryan Ellis would be crucial, making his absence so damaging. Sean Couturier, too.

• In a goaltending matchup worth the price of admission, Carter Hart made 24 saves on 27 shots.

The 23-year-old was unable to uphold the Flyers' 2-1 lead. New York did what good teams do by emphatically responding to a goal against.

The Flyers could hardly even celebrate York's goal. That's how fast the Rangers countered.

Kreider's game-winner was not on Hart.

"You start playing to think about only the win," Yeo said of the mindset after York's goal. "You start thinking about only that result and quite often you forget about that one little thing that you have to do right at that moment.

"That’s where it’s not easy, it’s very challenging when you’re dealing with sort of the stress and emotion of going through a losing streak like this. You have to make sure you continue to stay focused on the process and play all the way through."

New York netminder Igor Shesterkin entered with a 1.99 goals-against average and .939 save percentage. The 26-year-old picked up his 17th win with 26 stops on 28 shots.

• It will be difficult for the Flyers to deem York as the odd man out when Rasmus Ristolainen returns.

With every game, the 21-year-old has looked more confident and comfortable.

The 2019 first-round pick was pumped up after his first career NHL goal, shouting to the rafters in celebration.

"I feel good, I feel like I’m doing the right things," York said. "I just try to come to work every single day and the guys around me have been great, making me feel comfortable out there. I’m just playing my game, that's what I do. The guys have been great to me on and off the ice and I think that helps with me on the ice."

Have to think Nick Seeler will come out of the lineup until York shows he's overwhelmed at this level — if he ever does — and needs more AHL seasoning.

• Featuring a pair of hat tricks, Mika Zibanejad tortured the Flyers last season with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in eight matchups.

He opened the scoring Saturday night with a power play goal.

Oskar Lindblom answered around six minutes later with his fifth goal and 10th point in the last 15 games to draw the Flyers even at first intermission.

Travis Konecny made a nice play to start the sequence and ended up notching the primary assist. The Flyers' energizer bunny is stuck in the second-longest goal drought of his career at 20 games. In that same span, he's tied for the team lead in assists with 11.

But there's no doubt the Flyers could use the goal-scoring Konecny right now.

• In health matters:

Ristolainen exited the NHL's COVID protocol Saturday morning and is expected to rejoin the lineup next week.

"Good to have him back," Yeo said after morning skate. "He's been playing a lot of really good hockey for us. A real competitive guy. Miss him on the penalty kill, miss him in defensive situations, but obviously you've got to make sure the player's ready."

Neither Couturier (upper body) nor Ellis (lower body) have been back on the ice in their rehabs.

"I don't have a timeline," Yeo said. "I can tell you that I walked in the trainer's room this morning, both guys were getting their therapy, both guys are obviously very anxious to get back."

Derick Brassard (hip) remains day to day.

• The Flyers open next week with a back-to-back set against the Islanders. They visit UBS Arena on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP) and host New York on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET/ESPN+, Hulu).

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