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Travis Konecny on verge of returning to formidable Flyers lineup

Despite missing six of their top forwards during different stretches of the season, the Flyers' offense is sixth in the NHL, averaging 3.39 goals per game. And they are now a healthy team.

The Flyers' Travis Konecny (left) celebrates with teammates after scoring his second of three goals against the Penguins on Jan. 15. Konecny will return to the lineup this week after being on the COVID protocol list.
The Flyers' Travis Konecny (left) celebrates with teammates after scoring his second of three goals against the Penguins on Jan. 15. Konecny will return to the lineup this week after being on the COVID protocol list.Read moreSTEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer

Despite having five of their top forwards sidelined for a while by the league’s COVID-19 protocol – and having Sean Couturier miss 10 games because of a rib injury – the Flyers’ offense has still been productive.

They entered Monday sixth in the NHL, averaging 3.39 goals per game, and they will have right winger Travis Konecny back in the lineup at some point this week, perhaps as early as Tuesday in Pittsburgh.

The Flyers will also play in Pittsburgh on Thursday and Saturday.

Konecny, who turns 24 on March 11, was in a scoring slump when he went on the COVID list on Feb. 14, but he is regarded as one of the Flyers’ best threats. He has scored 24 goals in each of the last three seasons, and he has five goals in 12 games this year, including a hat trick against the Penguins on Jan. 15.

Konecny skated Monday at the team’s practice facility in Voorhees and then joined the team in Pittsburgh. He will be a game-time decision Tuesday.

When he does return, Konecny will try to snap a seven-game goal-less streak. He has missed the last five games.

James van Riemsdyk (10 goals), Joel Farabee (8), Kevin Hayes (7), and Sean Couturier (5 goals in eight games) have paced the Flyers.

Pittsburgh has averaged 2.85 goals per game, 18th in the 31-team NHL.

Consecutive shutouts against Buffalo have lowered the Flyers’ goals-against average to 2.89 per game, 16th in the NHL. Pittsburgh is surrendering 3.25 goals per game, tied for 26th in the league with lowly Detroit.

» READ MORE: The Flyers and Sixers could have fans at Wells Fargo Center soon as the state loosens COVID-19 restrictions

Special teams’ woes

The Flyers and Penguins have both struggled on special teams.

The Flyers are 17th on the power play (19.1% success rate) and 27th (73%) on the penalty kill, though they were 6-for-6 in the weekend sweep of the Sabres. The Penguins are 26th on the power play (14.9%) and 29th (72.1%) on the PK.

» READ MORE: Carter Hart blanks Buffalo, 3-0, as Flyers register third straight shutout vs. Sabres this season

Breakaways

Samuel Morin was sent from the taxi squad to the AHL’s Phantoms. ... When the Flyers blanked Buffalo on Sunday, 3-0, it was the first time they had ever shut out an opponent in three straight games during a season. In franchise history, they also shut out three other opponents three times in a season – Los Angeles in 1967-68, the Islanders in 1973-74, and Minnesota in 1974-75 – but it wasn’t done consecutively. Bernie Parent had eight of the nine shutouts against those teams. Doug Favell had the other one, against the Kings. ... The Phantoms’ Max Willman was named the AHL Player of the Week after scoring five goals over three games.