Konecny shrugs off ‘hat trick,’ enjoys another big win

PHILADELPHIA — Travis Konecny insisted the Flyers would hit the reset button and come back refreshed after the All-Star break.

Little did Konecny know he also would reinvent himself with a rare Gordie Howe hat trick – a goal, an assist and a fight, the latter of which he won by fall, over Neal Pionk. It was sweet revenge for Konecny and the Flyers, who secured a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets at Wells Fargo Center.

Konecny, who has a team-best 24 goals, shrugged when asked what the fun part of the unusual hat trick was: the goal, the assist, or the fight?

“Just the win, honestly,” Konecny said. “That was the best part.”

All of the production occurred in the first period for him. First came the fight, then the goal and the assist. He didn’t appreciate Pionk taking a run at him moments before the skirmish in which they traded punches, then tumbled to the ice while he was firmly in control.

“I think he caught me, and I thought it was intentional,” Konecny said. “I don’t know, maybe it was just the right guy at the right time and maybe I had a chance. … I wasn’t trying to fight for any reason. It just kind of happened. If it sparked us, I’m not sure.”

Teammates said the showdown juiced them in a sizzling first period lifting the Flyers (27-19-6, 60 points) to their second straight victory after the All-Star break. The Flyers are third in the Metropolitan Division.

Coach John Tortorella, however, wasn’t thrilled with the work of the Flyers following the first frame in which they grabbed a 3-0 lead. The advantage grew to 4-0 entering the final frame despite the Flyers getting outshot, 15-2, in the second stanza. Goalie Sam Ersson made a handful of stellar saves in the frame, giving him 25 on the night to maintain the clean sheet. Kyle Conner’s even strength goal for the Jets with 5:12 left off a gaggle of bodies ruined Ersson’s bid for a fourth shutout.

Tortorella didn’t sound like a fan of the Howe hat trick. The exchange went like this:

What did you like about Travis in the first period?

Tortorella: Travis who?

Konecny. Gordie Howe hat trick?

Tortorella: Yeah, I guess so.

Despite the win, Tortorella said the Flyers showed zero in the second and third periods, forming that number with his hand. Of course, a win is a win no matter the finish and the Flyers are 2-0 post-All-Star break after towing a five-game losing streak into it.

“I think with that week break guys got away from it a little bit, got some rest and healed and kind of put it on the backburner a little bit,” Scott Laughton said. “Two wins against two real good opponents, hopefully it can spring us into a nice little homestand here.”

It was the second such “hat trick” by Konecny, and believe it or not it matches the career total of Howe, who played in a record 2,421 professional hockey games.

“Oh yeah?” Konecny said. “Cool.”

For the record, Rick Tocchet is the all-time NHL leader with 18 of those Howe hat tricks with Brendan Shanahan next with 17.

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NOTES >> Ersson is 14-9-3 as the starter this season. … Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen was scratched Thursday due to illness. … Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon was suspended for three games, without pay, for an illegal check to the head of Penguins forward Noel Acciari in Pittsburgh Tuesday.