Flyers say so long to 13-game skid by beating Kings in OT on snowy Saturday (2024)

At long last, the Flyers' losing streak — which reached a franchise-worst 13 games — is over.

Cam Atkinson felt the Flyers could play with "a little bit more eff you" to their game.

He backed up his words by scoring two goals to help the Flyers mercifully halt their skid with a 4-3 OT win Saturday afternoon over the Kings at the Wells Fargo Center.

Atkinson assisted Scott Laughton's overtime winner.

"Found a way to win," Laughton said. "We've got to keep building on that and take it a day at a time. I know it’s a cliché but we actually need to do that."

TheFlyers (14-22-8) picked up their first victory since Dec. 29. They had gone 0-10-3 in their 13-game slide.

"Now the challenge is to make sure that we come back and aim to get better from this one," Flyers interim head coach Mike Yeo said. "Let’s make it two now."

With a snowstorm rolling through the Northeast and the Flyers having lost their last 13 games, the listed attendance was a meager 13,763. The Wells Fargo Center supplied free hot dogs, soft pretzels and soda for those that braved the weather conditions. All fans were permitted to sit in the lower bowl of the arena as curtains covered the entrances for the sections on the mezzanine level.

The Flyers split the two-game regular-season series with theKings (22-16-7).

• As the Flyers were on the penalty kill and nursing a 2-1 lead, Atkinson delivered an ultra clutch goal in the third period.

The 32-year-old winger leads the NHL with 15 shorthanded goals since 2016-17.

Atkinson has 17 goals overall in his first season with the Flyers.

"We had some guys that sort of said that's enough," Yeo said. "They were vocal on the bench, as well. Something happened that wasn’t right, we weren't doing the right thing, you could hear them talking to the guys. Not berating, just teaching. I thought that their leadership was outstanding tonight."

• With Gerry Mayhew's goal off of a pretty assist from Rasmus Ristolainen, the Flyers held their first lead at first intermission in 2022.

"It was a great move, [Cale] Makar-like," Mayhew said with a smile about Ristolainen's assist. "It was nice, I was just sitting there. I thought he was going to shoot it but he put it right on my tape and it was a tap-in."

The Flyers had gone 12 games in January without taking an advantage into the locker room after the opening 20 minutes.

Following the disastrous afternoon loss in Buffalo, New York last Saturday, Yeo reiterated the importance of starting this game on time.

A day after general manager Chuck Fletcher and Comcast Spectacor chairman and CEO Dave Scottheld their midseason address, Yeo was staying positive.

"Every day, I am just coming to the rink, and as difficult as it's been, I still love the challenge of it," Yeo said Thursday. "It has been a grind, don't get me wrong. It hurts to lose, it sucks to lose. You feel ashamed, you feel embarrassed. But at the same time, it's still an opportunity. I'm very proud to be working for the organization.

"I know that that group is listening to what we're saying and I know that the work ethic is there, we just have to put it together for 60 minutes. We are going to continue to do that. I want nothing more than for those players to start the feel the rewards of the things that they're starting to do."

• Carter Hart was sharp in picking up his first since Dec. 14.

The 23-year-old had been more than solid during the team's 13-game free-fall. The Flyers had scored only 2.00 goals per game in the losing streak.

Hart made 37 saves for the victory as he faced 40 shots.

Anze Kopitar forced overtime with 37.4 seconds left and the Kings' net emptied.

Los Angeles netminderJonathan Quick denied 32 of the Flyers' 36 shots.

• Isaac Ratcliffe, a 2017 second-round draft pick, made his NHL debut on the Flyers' fourth line.

The 6-foot-6 winger said he wanted to provide a spark any way possible.

He decided it would be physicality.

Ratcliffe made his presence felt right off the hop with a big, clean hit on Kings defensemanMikey Anderson.

"When you get in the way of a big body like Ratty, got to get out of the way a little bit," Laughton said. "I thought he did a great job. First NHL game, kept it simple, had a lot of shots on net and brought what we needed on that line."

Overall, Ratcliffe made a strong first impression with four hits and three shots in limited minutes.

His parents Al and Elaine were in attendance to see him reach his NHL dream.

"When I was growing up, they really made my dream my own," Ratcliffe said Friday. "They always told me if I ever wanted to step away from the game of hockey, they'd support me no matter what.

"I think them allowing me to have my own mindset and being supportive of whatever that may be has really helped me along my way. It's helped me learn how to take care of myself and make sure I'm doing whatever it takes to myself happy."

The 22-year-old became the fourth Flyer to make his NHL debut this season.

The Flyers continued to be without Joel Farabee (upper body), Kevin Hayes (abdominal), Sean Couturier (upper body), Ryan Ellis (lower body), Derick Brassard (hip), Nate Thompson (shoulder), Patrick Brown (MCL sprain) and Wade Allison (MCL sprain).

Brassard practiced Friday and was able to push it more than he had previously.

Farabee, Hayes, Couturier and Brown have taken the ice recently for rehab work.

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• In a pregame ceremony, Keith Yandle was honored for breaking the NHL's ironman record. The 35-year-old defenseman set the new mark Tuesday by playing in his 965th consecutive game, a streak that dates back to March 2009.

Former and current teammates, family members and the previous record holder Doug Jarvis all congratulated Yandle in a video tribute that played on the scoreboard. Yandle's wife Kristyn and their daughters Mila and Lola met him on the ice for hugs and a picture.

Fletcher and the Flyers presented Yandle with a commemorative crystal, gold puck, helmet and bottle of wine.

• In their final game before the All-Star break, the Flyers host the Jets on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

The All-Star festivities are Feb. 4-5 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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