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PHILADELPHIA — Bobby Brink barely had time to unpack after being called up from Lehigh Valley when he gave the Flyers the early lead Tuesday in what became a 6-2 win over the Lightning at the malfunctioning Wells Fargo Center.
Brink whistled a wrister past Andrei Vasilevskiy 2:22 into the contest, validating the prayers of John Torterella, who was without injured playmaker Travis Konceny.
“Hopefully he’ll bring some offense,” the Flyers’ coach said of the diminutive Brink. “We didn’t bring him here to check.”
Brink’s goal was the product of focus. A blinding rush up the ice caught the defender and goalkeeper flat on their feet. Brink was on a line with Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost.
“I’m just going to go out there and do my best and play my game,” Brink said. “All I can control is my effort. Every day in the NHL you have to earn your spot. Every game you have to be consistent. You have to be there every night.”
With 13:43 left in the opening quarter, the power partially went out at WFC, both on the ice and in the concession areas. (Shouldn’t have asked for that receipt).
It was as if someone dimmed the lights in the seats and in the concession areas. A fleet of service trucks was spotted across the street trying to restore power.
A statement from Wells Fargo Center president Phil Laws referenced “a partial power outage to limited sections of the arena, which caused a brief pause in game action.”
The Flyers exited the first period with a 1-0 lead, but Nicholas Paul tied it up in the second frame for the Lightning. The lights came back on more fully with 16:19 left in the second period, much to the delight of the crowd.
The scoreboard and the clock weren’t functioning though, the time stuck on 13:43. It was pretty much full scoreboard power in the third period, and Tyson Foerster put the Flyers ahead with his 14th goal of the season on a feed from Morgan Frost, his second assist of the evening. Foerster has seven goals in his last seven games for the Flyers.
The Flyers (31-22-7, 69 points) had lost four of five starts entering Tuesday. They’re now tied with the Lightning (32-24-5, 69) in the Eastern Conference.
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Joining Konecny, the Flyers’ leading scorer, on the injury report was defenseman Jamie Drysdale, scratched with an injury to his left shoulder. York, who teams with Drysdale, was optimistic about the extent of that issue.
“I’m not really sure yet exactly what’s going on,” York said. “I think he avoided the worst case, so that’s good. He’s just got to stay positive. Just hang in there.”
Konecny has been hobbled by an upper body injury knocking him out of the last three games.
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Speaking of injuries, Tortorella’s right hand was in a cast, the arm cradled in a sling.
A fit of rage, perhaps?
“Just surgery on the hand,” Tortorella said. “Old age.”
Tortorella said the procedure was Monday morning.
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NOTES >> Flyers winger Cam Atkinson also was scratched. … The Flyers also are without high-priced defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (upper body), who is on injured reserve
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