"We have balls": Flyers HC John Tortorella on why Philadelphia won against Pittsburgh Penguins

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Dec 03, 2023 15:47 GMT

The Philadelphia Flyers entered a crucial road game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a streak of winless performances when allowing the first goal. Additionally, their power play had been struggling, managing only one goal in 29 attempts on the road this season.

However, in a remarkable turn of events, the Flyers secured a hard-fought victory against the Penguins, overcoming both their first-goal deficit trend and power play struggles.

Tyson Foerster played a pivotal role in the Philadelphia Flyers' success, not only scoring a crucial power play goal – their third of the game – but also contributing to Owen Tippett's game-tying goal in the second period. The Flyers displayed resilience and determination, attributes emphasized by head coach John Tortorella, who acknowledged the team's willingness to take risks and make bold plays.

"We win the game because we’ve got balls. We do,” Tortorella said. “We do stupid stuff. We don’t make plays sometimes. [We] lose sight of certain momentums in the game, a number of things we have to work on and try to get consistent at. But one thing we do have is balls.”

The victory was particularly significant for Scott Laughton, a veteran forward who, despite a goal-scoring drought and recent penalty troubles, netted a crucial short-handed goal that shifted the momentum in favor of the Philadelphia Flyers. Laughton, reflecting on his contribution, humorously mentioned:

“I almost blacked out.”

Tortorella's decision to trust the hot hand in the shootout, opting for Foerster and relying on Sean Couturier's signature move, showcased the coach's confidence in the NHL team's abilities. Although the shootout didn't go entirely as planned, goalie Sam Ersson stepped up when needed.

The game against the Penguins highlighted the Philadelphia Flyers' ability to persevere and overcome challenges on both ends of the ice. Despite facing adversity and entering the matchup with a record of winless games in specific scenarios, the team's collective courage and determination ultimately secured a gutsy win.

Devils' Brendan Smith received a two-game suspension for slashing Philadelphia Flyers forward

Brendan Smith, a defenseman for the New Jersey Devils, has been handed a two-game suspension by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for slashing Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny in their recent game.

The incident occurred at 17:07 in the third period, following a hit from Konecny to Smith's back as he headed toward the bench. Smith received a two-minute minor penalty for the slash, while Konecny faced no penalties.

As a result of the suspension, Smith will lose $11,458.34 in salary, which will be contributed to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.