Good response from Michkov, but Flyers fall in crunch time again to Kings

Good response from Michkov, but Flyers fall in crunch time again to Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For the second time in 10 days, the Flyers were outplayed by the Kings when it mattered most.

It resulted in another tough loss for John Tortorella’s club, this one a 5-4 decision Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena.

The Flyers held a 4-2 lead after Joel Farabee scored with 6:18 minutes left in the second period.

But Los Angeles responded with three unanswered goals, two of them coming in the final frame. The Flyers were outscored 6-0 in the third period of the two-game regular-season series with the Kings.

The Flyers (16-17-4) dropped both matchups to Los Angeles, surrendering 12 combined goals. The first meeting was a 3-3 game at second intermission and then the Kings (21-10-5) ripped off four third-period goals.

Tortorella’s team is 1-1-0 on its five-game road trip out of the holiday break. On the season, the Flyers are 1-6-0 in the second game of back-to-back sets and have been outscored 34-21. They beat the Ducks, 3-1, Saturday.

Tyson Foerster, Scott Laughton and Matvei Michkov provided the Flyers’ other goals Sunday night.

The club is 4-7-1 in December. Last season, it went 8-2-3.

• Tortorella stuck with Michkov after sitting the 20-year-old winger for the third period Saturday.

The decision paid off as the prized rookie snapped his season-long seven-game point drought with a goal and an assist, giving him 10 multi-point performances through 35 games.

In the first period, Michkov tried to bank a shot off Los Angeles netminder David Rittich and it went right to Laughton for a 2-1 lead. Then, in the second period, the bank was open for Michkov’s go-ahead 3-2 goal.

This is why it makes sense to let Michkov play through some struggles away from the puck. He’s a talent that can go off at any moment, even when he’s in a slump. And you don’t want to miss out on that kind of offense.

• After giving up six goals to the Kings on 26 shots in the first meeting, Aleksei Kolosov yielded five on 20 shots in the rematch.

The 22-year-old wasn’t very sharp and the Flyers didn’t help him a whole lot as the game got later. Warren Foegele drew Los Angeles within 4-3, scoring on his own rebound after Kolosov initially denied him on a breakaway.

The Flyers had a bad giveaway at the offensive blue line that sent Foegele the other way. Egor Zamula gave Travis Konecny a pass in a tough spot and then the Flyers’ leading scorer committed the turnover.

Future Hall of Famer Anze Kopitar scored both of the Kings’ third-period markers. The game-winner came on the power play just five seconds after Travis Sanheim was whistled for hooking.

The Flyers needed Kolosov to be better earlier in the game, as well.

Rittich stopped 17 of the Flyers’ 21 shots.

• Farabee has a goal in back-to-back games out of the holiday break. He had just four in 35 games going into the break. By looking at his track record, anyone could see that the offense was bound to come for Farabee.

But the key for him will be building on it. The Flyers, as a team, have been far too up and down. If they get more consistent secondary scoring, they have a better chance at climbing out of the .500 territory.

• The Flyers are back in action Tuesday for a New Year’s Eve matchup against the Sharks at SAP Center (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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