Another close loss to Toronto – NBC Sports Philadelphia

For the second game in a row, the Flyers outscored the Maple Leafs.

And for the second straight game, the Flyers fell to Toronto, this time a 3-2 decision Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Travis Konecny ​​scored his 19th and 20th goals of the season. But the Maple Leafs answered each of them.

Matthew Knies then scored the game-winner for Toronto on a redirect with 6:39 left in the third period.

“You win some games that you shouldn’t, and then there are games where you feel like you’ve been robbed of at least one point,” Konecny ​​said. “I don’t think (the frustration) seeps into the locker room. A lot of the guys know the right way to play and how we play. Eventually it will turn around for us. Just keep working hard.”

The Flyers (17-19-5) have 39 points halfway through this season. They have regressed from last season, when they had 48 points at the midway mark (21-14-6).

“Rough in the first half,” John Tortorella said at the morning skate. “Some really good things. Some things (where) we lose ourselves a little bit. But it’s not shocking to me. It’s a constant evaluation of all the players as we continue to move forward here.”

Tortorella’s club opened a four-game homestand after going 2-2-1 on a road trip out of the holiday break. It has dropped three straight, with the last two coming to the Maple Leafs (27-13-2). The Flyers lost, 3-2, in overtime on Sunday.

The Flyers are 1-8-2 in their last 11 matchups with Toronto. The clubs will meet again on March 25 at Scotiabank Arena.

• The Flyers had an ominous start to the third period when Matvei Michkov and Scott Laughton collided square off just 13 seconds into the stanza. Laughton was very slow to get up and Michkov’s face was bloody.

Laughton returned to the game after briefly walking up the tunnel. Michkov had an extended absence, but eventually returned to the game as well.

• Ivan Fedotov picked up his second shutout for the Maple Leafs, converting 14 saves on 17 shots.

“We held them to 10 scoring chances,” Tortorella said.

Just 24 seconds into the second period, the Flyers put Toronto on its third power play of the game. And this time it cost the Flyers when John Tavares scored 55 seconds after Cam York was whistled for high-sticking.

Konecny ​​then restored the Flyers’ 2-1 lead with a 4-on-4 goal, but Auston Matthews tied the score 41 seconds later. Matthews went into the slot untouched just as a Maple Leafs power play expired.

Toronto’s big boys did damage and took advantage of the Flyers being undisciplined. Matthews (one goal, one assist), Tavares (one goal, one assist) and Mitch Marner (two assists) turned in multi-point performances.

“Too many penalties,” Tortorella said. “But don’t make me take (it apart). We played a good game.”

The Flyers were without Samuel Ersson for a third straight game because of his lower-body injury. More about Ersson’s status here.

Maple Leafs netminder Joseph Woll stopped 30 of the Flyers’ 32 shots.

“If you play the right way, if we play like that against a lot of these teams, I think we’ll get points and start getting on the court here,” Noah Cates said.

• The Flyers took a 1-0 lead into the first break on Konecny’s first goal. The team’s leading scorer has 45 points through 41 games. Sean Couturier found Konecny, who was ready to shoot from the circle.

Cates made an excellent defensive play to set up Konecny’s second goal. The 25-year-old center has 12 points (six goals, six assists) in the past 13 games.

• After some blood boiled between the Flyers and Toronto two days ago, Joel Farabee and Connor Dewar dropped the gloves 4:47 into Tuesday night’s game. It was the 12th game of Farabee’s NHL career.