Coyotes cough up another lead in loss to Flyers

PHILADELPHIA – The Flyers entered the third period trailing the visiting Arizona Coyotes, 3-2 on Monday night.The Flyers responded with three goals in the third to take a 5-3 win over the Coyotes.

Jason Zucker #16 of the Arizona Coyotes jumps over Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson #33 while in pursuit of the loose puck

Jamie Drysdale knotted the game at 3-3 with 6:12 gone in the third.

“It’s an easy game to kind of get frustrated in,” Drysdale said. “I think it’s just a matter of not getting mad. … ‘Torts’ came in between the second and third and just said, ‘I’ve got a good feeling about this one.’ That just motivates the group to go out and play to win and get the two points.”

Scott Laughton hit for the game-winner midway through the third to make it 4-3 to Philadelphia.

“We found a way, and it’s a good sign for us to find a way in a game like that when we probably didn’t have our best stuff,” Laughton said.

Arizona’s Matt Dumba was assessed a double minor after the goal for a high stick.

Owen Tippett sealed the win for the Flyers when he hit an empty net with 1:21 left on the regulation clock.

Samuel Ersson made 20 saves in the win.

The Flyers improved to 29-19-6

“The intangibles [Laughton] brings to us, it’s so important as far as the locker room is concerned, and he gets rewarded,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said. “He keeps on playing. He’s a guy that has some minutes, doesn’t have minutes. He just keeps on staying about him and scores a really big goal, kills a couple of big penalties for us. He’s an important guy that way.”

Dumba opened the scoring in the first period when he staked the Coyotes to a 1-0 lead.

He scored at 16:26 off a shot from the right blue line.

The Coyotes held that lead until the Flyers’ Morgan Frost struck at 4:23 of the middle frame to tie it, 1-1.

“For us to have the lead and not be able to hold it is tough to swallow in the position we’re in,” the Coyotes’ Nick Bjugstad said.

Arizona dropped to 23-24-4 off their sixth straight loss.

“One-goal lead is a one-shot lead,” Arizona coach Andre Tourigny said. “It’s not like we lost a two-goal lead. We had the chance to create that separation in the game, but we could not bury it.”

Mattias Maccelli restored the Coyotes lead at 2-1 when he potted a marker at 7:57 of the second period.

The replied again, this time from Travis Konecny who hit for a goal midway through the middle frame for a 2-2 score.

The Coyotes responded a little over three minutes later on a strike by Alex Kerfoot at 14:02 for a 3-2 lead headed to the third period.Vejmelka made 29 saves in the loss.1

Goalie Karel Vejmelka #70 of the Arizona Coyotes

Goalie Samuel Ersson #33 of the Philadelphia Flyers

Juuso Valimaki #4 of the Arizona Coyotes

Matias Maccelli #63 of the Arizona Coyotes

Jamie Drysdale #9 of the Philadelphia Flyers fight for position against Adam Ruzicka #83 of the Arizona Coyotes in front of goalie Samuel Ersson #33 of the Philadelphia Flyers

Karel Vejmelka #70 of the Arizona Coyotes makes a stick save against Owen Tippett #74 of the Philadelphia Flyers

Goalie Karel Vejmelka #70 of the Arizona Coyotes takes a puck to the facemask

Samuel Ersson #33 of the Philadelphia Flyers blocks a shot with his shoulder.

An Arizona Coyotes shot gets past Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson #33

Matt Dumba #24 of the Arizona Coyotes scores in the first period and is congratulated by teammate Travis Dermott #33

Karel Vejmelka #70 of the Arizona Coyotes clears the puck away from the net.

Morgan Frost #48 of the Philadelphia Flyers was awarded a penalty shot.

During his penalty shot, Morgan Frost #48 of the Philadelphia Flyers shoots on Karel Vejmelka #70 of the Arizona Coyotes

Morgan Frost #48 of the Philadelphia Flyers scores on his penalty shot.

Cam York #8 of the Philadelphia Flyers and Karel Vejmelka #70 of the Arizona Coyotes

Travis Konecny #11 of the Philadelphia Flyers shoots the puck against J.J. Moser #90 of the Arizona Coyotes

Travis Konecny #11 of the Philadelphia Flyers score against Karel Vejmelka #70 of the Arizona Coyotes

Scott Laughton #21and Garnet Hathaway #19 of the Philadelphia Flyers battle for the loose puck against Matt Dumba #24, Travis Dermott #33, Karel Vejmelka #70 of the Arizona Coyotes