The Flyers picked up their most convincing win of the season Monday night with a 5-2 drubbing of the Kraken at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Owen Tippett continued his early-season surge with two more goals. Tyson Foerster and Noah Cates added power play markers, while Travis Konecny found the back of the net for his first of the season.
Cam York collected three assists and Sean Couturier recorded two.
“I thought we just played with confidence,” York said, “from the top to the bottom.”
Eleven different players finished with at least a point for the Flyers (3-2-1), who won three of four games on their homestand.
“I think we made it hard on them to defend and that’s what you want to do,” Couturier said. “I think there’s still room to improve, but it’s a good start.”
Rick Tocchet’s club handed Seattle its first regulation loss of the season. The Kraken (3-1-2) were missing Jared McCann, their top point producer from last season, because of a lower-body injury, as well as key defenseman Brandon Montour, who was out for a personal reason.
The Flyers face Seattle again Dec. 28 when they visit Climate Pledge Arena out of the holiday break.
• Tippett now has five goals through six games.
Last season, it took him 25 games to put up five.
“I think it makes it easier for that confidence to kind of stick around,” Tippett said of the goal numbers. “But at the same point, you can’t get too focused on that. You’ve still got to work on our goal here and playing a complete game with whoever you’re on the ice with. Obviously it’s nice to see them going in right now, but there are other parts of the game we’ve got to focus on, too.”
The 26-year-old winger bookended the Flyers’ scoring against the Kraken.
“He looks like a guy that’s dialed in,” Tocchet said.
After morning skate, Tocchet was asked if Tippett’s combination of speed and power reminded him of anyone. He likened Tippett’s strengths to Stars winger Mikko Rantanen.
“I don’t want to compare him, but if you watch Rantanen, I’ve been watching him this year, going through the neutral zone,” the Flyers’ head coach said. “Powerful speed. If teams back out, he does those deep delays. If a team tries to stand up on him, he goes around them. You can do both those things, then you become those type of players.”
The Flyers put up five goals Monday night, handing the Kraken their first regulation loss of the season.
• Dan Vladar made 21 saves on 23 shots. The 28-year-old has yet to give up more than two goals in a game.
“Vladdy I thought played great and kind of gave the bench confidence even when they got some odd-man rushes,” York said. “It starts with him and then I thought we just did a better job of putting the puck in the back of the net.”
Vladar earned consecutive starts after going 2-1-0 with a 1.65 goals-against average and .934 save percentage in his first three outings.
“He’s seeing the puck, looks really good,” Tocchet said. “He has given us a chance to win every night he has been in the net.”
Seattle netminder Joey Daccord surrendered the Flyers’ five goals on 21 shots and was pulled at second intermission.
• The Flyers’ power play was 1 for 15 coming into the game.
It went 2 for 4 on the night. The Flyers needed that.
“I like the movement on the power play, that part has been good,” Tocchet said. “It’s just the execution is the next part for us.”
Rick Tocchet addressed the media following the Flyers’ 5-2 win Monday night over the Kraken.
• Tocchet went with his youngsters against the Kraken. Jett Luchanko and Nikita Grebenkin drew into the lineup for Rodrigo Abols and Nicolas Deslauriers.
In the first period, Grebenkin stood up for Garnet Hathaway after the Flyers’ winger took a big hit from Cale Fleury. Grebenkin was given a two-minute minor penalty for instigating, a five-minute major for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct.
But the Flyers had to like Grebenkin’s instincts to defend a team guy like Hathaway. The Flyers’ penalty kill also did its job.
“We’ll kill those kind of penalties,” Couturier said. “Not sure he’s ever fought before, but it’s nice to see that he cares about his teammates and he’s willing to do that.”
Konecny had a tussle with Ryan Lindgren in the third period. The two jawed with each other from their respective penalty box.
• The Flyers have two days before their next game Thursday when they visit the Senators (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).