Flyers make it two straight without Tortorella

PHILADELPHIA – The Flyers managed to make it a two0game streak on Saturday with a 7-4 thumping of the visiting Buffalo Sabres.

Goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen #1 of the Buffalo Sabres prepares to stop Ryan Poehling #25 of the Philadelphia Flyers

For the second time in as many games, Matvei Michkov h hot for a double for Philadelphia.

Samuel Ersson made 17 saves in the win.

“When you’re in the season like that, and a tough spot, any change is welcome, and unfortunately it’s a coach [John Tortorella] and a well-respected guy,” the Flyers’ Noah Cates said. “Just kind of reset after it, and to have the efforts that we’ve had has been nice.”

The Sabres had a three-game streak come to an end.

“It was like Christmas hockey; we handed gifts out for the first three goals,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “… We had lack of discipline and we had lack of attention to detail when it comes to managing the puck early. That really hurt us.”

The Flyers jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Michkov and Jakob Pelletier within the first six minutes of the game.

“The last four or five games I thought we had chances,” Pelletier said. “I remember the one against the [Canadiens] last game in the first [period], I think I have to score that. Felt good, to be honest.”

The Sabres replied with a three-goal surge to take the lead.

Jack Quinn scored the first of his double on the afternoon to get the Sabres within one at 2-1.

JJ Peterka knotted the match, 2-2, early in the middle frame.

Quinn collected his double off a power play strike at 8:13 of the second.

Just over two minutes later Michkov potted his double to tie the game, 3-3.

“He’s an exceptional player with the puck, an exceptional player offensively,” interim head coach Brad Shaw said. “I think what he has to learn is that the better he checks and the better he plays without the puck, the sooner he gets it back and then the more opportunistic he can be and the more he can show off the skill package that he has. There’s so much room for growth there away from the puck [or] even with the puck. He’s going to learn as he goes what works and what doesn’t work in so many different scenarios. And he’s well down that path already.

“That’s a real exciting player to sort of picture where he may be three, four years from now.”

From there, the Flyers controlled play and held the Sabres to a single marker.

Cates picked up a marker at 14:11 to give the Flyers a 4-3advantage headed to the third.

Owen Tippett pushed the lead to 5-3 on a power play goal at 6:39 of the third

Tyson Foerster ballooned the advantage to 6-3 at 10:13 6.

Alex Tuch trimmed the deficit to 6-4 with a shorthanded goal at 15:05.

Ryan Poehling ended whatever momentum the Sabres thought they had with a goal 29 seconds later for the 7-4 final count on the scoreboard.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 25 saves in the loss.

Egor Zamula #5 of the Philadelphia Flyers is the first to congratulate his goalie Samuel Ersson #33 for his win against the Buffalo Sabres

Mattias Samuelsson #23 of the Buffalo Sabres

Owen Tippett #74 of the Philadelphia Flyers

Alex Tuch #89 of the Buffalo Sabres scores against Samuel Ersson #33 of the Philadelphia Flyers

Tyson Foerster #71 of the Philadelphia Flyers

Matvei Michkov #39 of the Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers Travis Sanheim #6, Nick Seeler #24, Bobby Brink #10, and Noah Cates #27 congratulate Tyson Foerster #71 for his goal against the Buffalo Sabres

Philadelphia Flyers Tyson Foerster #71 scores against the Buffalo Sabres.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen #1 of the Buffalo Sabres makes a save as teammate Conner Clifton #75 battles Bobby Brink #10 of the Philadelphia Flyers for position.