Loss to Carolina will pay dividends down the road for the young Flyers: ‘It’s going to make us work harder’

There may be no better teacher than playoff hockey.

Just ask Alex Bump, who got burned by Carolina Hurricanes center Logan Stankoven on the tie-breaking goal early in the third period.

“You can’t take a stride off,” Bump said. “They’ll make you pay.”

Bump responded with a goal of his own, after Travis Konecny fed him in the slot later in the third. The goal ultimately helped the Flyers force overtime in what became a 3-2 loss. But, for as much as Bump may have celebrated at the time, it’s not the goal that will stick with him over the summer. It’s that one stride.

The Flyers’ young core’s first playoff run is officially over. The group won one playoff series, and was then swept by the Eastern Conference’s top regular-season team. As painful as the loss might be now, ultimately, the experience of playing in meaningful postseason games will pay dividends moving forward.

“That’s the stuff you want to see,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “[Bump’s] not on the bench sulking. He knew he made the mistake. He goes out there, bang, it’s in the net. That’s the growth you like to see, him taking the information and then just rising in the moment.”

» READ MORE: Flyers’ Cinderella playoff run ends with a heartbreaking 3-2 OT loss

On Saturday, the Flyers had five players age 22 and under in their lineup, including Bump (22), Denver Barkey (21), and Porter Martone (19), who have become regulars in the Flyers’ lineup since making their debuts this season.

In Game 4, Tocchet also turned to Oliver Bonk (21) and Jett Luchanko (19) to make their playoff debuts. Luchanko had not played in an NHL game since Oct. 20, and Bonk had played in just one NHL game total, the season finale against Montreal.

“We wanted to get some speed in there, see if Jett could against Carolina, we wanted to get some more speed,” Tocchet said. “We just felt, it was the right time to even try Bonker. He’s a future guy. I thought he held his own. I mean, that’s a good hockey team, and a playoffs style of game. I thought he did a nice job.”

Neither played much. Bonk played 12 minutes, and 36 seconds, the least ice time of any defenseman, but did get some power-play time alongside Rasmus Ristolainen. He got burned by Taylor Hall for the assist on the Stankoven goal in the third. Luchanko played 12:31, the least ice time of any player on the team. But that’s to be expected, considering the situation.

Martone picked up another assist and played two of his better playoff games in the final two games of the series against Carolina. Tocchet moved Barkey into a role of greater responsibility at center and repeatedly praised him as one of the best and hardest workers in the group.

» READ MORE: Philly is in peril of an unprecedented double sweep after the Flyers fall to the Hurricanes

The youngest Flyers have been able to learn from this playoff experience, and from each other, as they head into the offseason to prepare for their first full NHL season.

“[They’re] some of my best buddies now,” Bump said. “It’s been super cool. Me and Barks were just talking about it on the ice when we were getting that standing [ovation], just how much it means to the fans and how much more it’s going to make us work harder to try and do something for them.”