VOORHEES, N.J. — John Tortorella didn't have a defeated look Monday. Since Day 1, he has always embraced the challenge of building the Flyers back up.
But he did have an honest look.
With 11 losses in their last 14 games (3-8-3), the Flyers are where many thought they'd be in the week leading up to the NHL trade deadline. They are not in a playoff race and will continue retooling their roster for the future.
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Perhaps that reality sunk in firmly for the Flyers with the latest on Travis Konecny's upper-body injury.
Tortortella said the club's leading goal scorer and point man will be out for an extended period of time. Konecny was placed on injured reserve Saturday as he missed a third straight game. He suffered the injury in the Flyers' 4-3 win a week ago over the Flames.
Konecny was out for six games in November with an injury to his right hand. In the nine games he has missed this season, the Flyers have gone 1-6-2 and with just 2.00 goals per game.
"I'm hoping that we understand — especially now, we're not getting in the playoffs — we need to concentrate on being who we are as hard as we can be and try to win games understanding we have to defend first," Tortorella said Monday after practice. "Because we just lost — and he's going to be out for a while — our best offensive player that is involved in so many different things with this team to keep us going. He's out. That's where I have to take responsibility, in making sure that we are thinking clearly."
NHL
The club is likely going to be highly cautious with Konecny given where it is in the standings.
The Flyers are 23-28-10 and have just one game left before Friday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline. They host the Rangers on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET/TNT).
James van Riemsdyk, Kevin Hayes and Wade Allison missed practice Monday for maintenance days. The Flyers are hoping the three players can practice Tuesday.
Van Riemsdyk, the Flyer most likely to be moved by the deadline, was held out of the lineup Saturday as the Flyers were rolled by the Devils, 7-0.
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