Travis Konecny misses Maple Leafs game with upper-body injury, listed as day-to-day
Konecny was a game-time decision after the Flyers' morning skate on Monday before he was ruled out against Toronto. He is the team's leading scorer with 23 goals and 57 points.
TORONTO — After the Flyers win against the Boston Bruins on Saturday, goalie Dan Vladař said every player is a piece to their puzzle as they make a push for the playoffs.
On Monday, they faced the Toronto Maple Leafs without key piece Travis Konecny.
Ruled a game-time decision by coach Rick Tocchet after a morning skate that saw the forward not participate in power-play reps, Konecny is officially day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
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He also missed the Flyers’ loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 10 with an upper-body injury.
Konecny has led the team in scoring for five of the last six seasons, including the last four, and this year leads the lineup in goals (23), assists (34), and points (57). He is second in power-play points (10) and is tied with three players for the lead in short-handed points (2).
The heart and soul of the team and one of its most consistent scorers, Konecny has registered at least a point in 40 of his 58 games. In his last 35 games, he has 40 points, including nine points in five games heading into the Olympic break and has three in the three games since the restart.
Despite being banged up and playing through it — he tallied a hat trick as he gutted out and grimaced through a demoralizing loss to Columbus on Jan. 28 — the alternate captain had all but put the Flyers on his back.
Averaging just over 19 minutes a night, Konecny is plus-10, rebounding from his minus-17 last season. Even though he has missed a handful of games, the Ontario native is still on pace to set a new career high in points with 79.
“I had a good break, got a chance to reset, get my mind in a different spot,” Konecny said Feb. 17, the first day the Flyers returned to the ice in Voorhees. “Kind of realize where we’re at as a team and what we need to do finishing the season here. For me, just getting to the top of my game, where I need to be to help our team, and I think everyone is in the same spot.”
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But not having him in the lineup will make the Flyers’ postseason push tougher. And Konecny said after the Flyers’ loss in Boston on Jan. 29 that, “I’m tired of missing the playoffs.”
“I think it’s disappointing every year if you miss it,” he said in mid-February. “I think what’s gotten everyone to this point is everyone’s a competitor, everyone wants to compete in the big games. … It’s not going to be like the end of the world if it didn’t happen; I’d be frustrated.
“But I know that the team we’re building, what we have, the plan, we’re going to be a playoff team, and I’m not worried about that. I know everyone believes in that in this locker room, so we keep on pushing. Hopefully, it happens, and we’re going to give everything to get there, and if it doesn’t, we re-evaluate and get better in the summer.”
With Konecny out, Owen Tippett was moved to the top wing alongside Christian Dvorak and Trevor Zegras during Monday’s game.