Healthy and with steady goaltending, Flyers have more ups than downs of late

PHILADELPHIA — Continuing a season that coach John Tortorella has consistently painted as one of “ups and downs,” the Flyers hit at least a feel-good pinnacle Monday night with a second straight win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, this one a 2-1 overtime victory.

The glory went to Sean Couturier, who slammed home an elevated Travis Konecny pass with 1:05 left in the extra session. The Flyers had won the opener of the home-and-home series in Pittsburgh Saturday night, Couturier again with the winning stroke, that one in a shootout.

While there indeed have been highs and lows through the season’s early months, a Flyers team that a season ago had the look of a long-time loser emits only positive vibes now, an emotion brought upon easier with the returns of Couturier and Cam Atkinson from long-term injuries.

This anticipated rebuilding team is 13-10-2, and the only thing keeping everyone grounded in their talk is the reality that there are months still to go.

While the veteran forwards like Couturier, Atkinson and Konecny have been driving forces, the performances in goal have underscored each and every closely contested outing.

On this night, it was No. 1 goalie Carter Hart with another outstanding performance, stopping 31 shots from the aged but still explosive Penguins.

“When we couldn’t get out of our end for a time, he gave us seven or eight great saves,” Tortorella said of Hart after the game. “It’s helping us; the goaltending has been good. They’ve been giving us an opportunity to stay in games. Hartsy’s been doing that all year long. He’s been really good.”

Hart (6-6-1, 2.68 goals-against, .909 save percentage) is now playing in front of a solid support system with the recent resurgence of backup goalie Sam Ersson, who not only recovered from a slow start but has been lights out of late.

Ersson has won four starts in a row. That includes a victory over the Pens Saturday in which he played a major role during overtime and a shootout, along with a shutout victory on Long Island the game before that.

“I just think he’s found his rhythm,” Tortorella said of Ersson, who has recovered enough to boost his record to 5-3-1 with a 2.78 GAA and .885 SP. “It is what it is, that’s the way camp was, that’s the situation he’s in. He didn’t start off well but each start he plays he just seems more and more confident.”

Tortorella referenced the look Ersson had in Pittsburgh, saying, “Watch him in the shootout, you don’t see any net. He makes a save on (Sidney) Crosby, you can see his confidence. …. That’s the way he feels and that’s a big part of Sam’s game,  his mindset. I’ve said that every time we talk about him. He’s got the right type of arrogance. I just think he feels good about himself.”

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Another improving player in Tortorella’s eyes is defenseman Cam York. While the future beckons a player originally identified for his offensive potential, Tortorella is happy to see York living up to his position name.

“He’s just a good skater, and I think that’s what makes him a really good defender, because he can get his body turned sideways … or whichever way he needs to go to defend,” Tortorella said. “He’s just that athletic.

“He’s maturing. I don’t want to get too excited, because you never know, but when the season started … I hated his last quarter last year. I didn’t know what he was. A little bit of responsibility falls on me because we played him on the right side all that time. But I just think he’s matured.

“You talk about (York’s offensive game), but I’m not sure that’s ever going to be a mainstay,” Tortorella added. “But he’s a good defender because he’s that athletic and that willing right now. He’s showing me a willingness that I wasn’t sure he had.”

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NOTES >> Tortorella on his players dealing with adversity in Pittsburgh: “The Pittsburgh game was great for us. It’s the ups and the downs, we’re almost going to win the game, we come back, but 15, 20 seconds (actually, 19 seconds left in regulation), and then they get scored on. But it didn’t affect (us). Then we get a couple of big saves from (Ersson) in the OT, and we find a way to win in the shootout. Those are all good things as you continue to grow.” … Tortorella said he’d like to start limiting minutes for Travis Sanheim to keep him a little fresher. First change: “A few minutes off the power play,” Tortorella said. “There’s been some struggles there and just to get him a few minutes off could (help).”