Nick Ritchie

The Flyers scored five times in the second period to open up a lead and never looked back in a 6-2 victory over the Coyotes at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night.

Clayton Keller's goal with 22 seconds remaining in overtime capped off a hat trick in a 5-4 loss for the Flyers to the Arizona Coyotes.

For two periods, another game was competitive and within reach thanks to Carter Hart. For the rest of the team, the offensive struggles continued. The Flyers went 0-for-4 on the power play and were held off the board in a 36-save shutout for Jack Campbell and the Toronto Maple Leafs, falling by a score of 3-0. 

While it may have been an expected result given the circumstances, there were things on display where the lineup didn’t really matter. The Bruins have had the Flyers number all season. So has David Pastrnak. That wasn’t changing no matter who was on the ice.

With a shorthanded lineup once again, the Bruins got another late second-period goal that started the unraveling. This time, it didn't even take until the third. Three goals for the Bruins in 1:39 capped off a four-goal period, as the Flyers were routed in the outdoor game at Lake Tahoe by a score of 7-3 on Sunday night.

For the Flyers, the Bruins have been a thorn in the side for the entire season, handing them four losses so far. The road doesn't get any easier as the Flyers head into this outdoor game in Lake Tahoe with a still shorthanded lineup.

The stage is set for Friday night at Wells Fargo Center, when the Flyers and Bruins meet again for the fourth time this season already. After going 0-1-2 in the first three, the Flyers are looking to get back on the right side of the results. Game time is at 7 p.m.

The problem is that the Boston Bruins are a good team too, so if you are going to live by the mantra that good teams find a way to win, better teams find a way to exploit that. The Flyers finally paid for their flaws this season, and now it is on them to learn from it.

Facing the Bruins again should be another test for the Flyers. Boston sits one point behind the Flyers in the standings with a 6-1-2 record in nine games. Game time is 8 p.m.

Two nights after letting a two-goal lead slip away in the third and falling in a shootout, the Flyers take on the Boston Bruins again on Saturday night at 7 p.m.