Flyers go off for 6 goals to beat McDavid, Oilers in first game out of the break

Sean Couturier's line was brilliant Saturday afternoon, leading the Flyers to a 6-3 win over the Oilers at the Wells Fargo Center.

The captain and his wingers Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov combined for four goals and four assists. Tippett had two markers, the second of which gave the Flyers a 4-3 lead in the second period.

Couturier's tally put the Flyers ahead 3-2 in the middle stanza. Michkov had one of his two assists on Couturier's goal and also opened the game's scoring in the first period with his 17th of the season.

"We were connecting, we seemed to find each other out there," Couturier said. "I thought we supported each other well."

All three forwards had a plus-5 rating.

Rasmus Ristolainen iced the game with a long empty-netter.

"Hopefully some guys feel confident about their offensive game," John Tortorella said. "I think we've been pretty consistent with our defensive part of the game. We'll see where we go."

After going 13 days without a game because of the 4 Nations Face-Off break, Tortorella's club looked reenergized and dynamic offensively. Before the break, the Flyers (25-26-7) were able to snap a five-game skid. And they knew they had reinforcements on the way (more on that below).

"I want us to take a run at trying to put a run together because other than six, seven, eight teams in this league, it is a .500 league," Tortorella said a little over two weeks ago. "We're below .500 now, but you have a good run, you're right back in the thick of things. That's the way I'm approaching it and I still think we have a lot of meaningful games left."

The Flyers went 1-0-1 against the Oilers (34-18-4) this season. Back in October, they suffered a 4-3 overtime loss despite Michkov scoring two goals.

• Michkov showed his elite vision on Couturier's goal.

"We've said since the start of the year, since he has been here, he makes plays that not many guys can make," Couturier said. "You've just got to be ready and find open ice. That's what I did."

The 20-year-old rookie needed the break maybe more than any other Flyer. He had his best stuff Saturday and he's now just one point shy of 40.

"I'm hoping he feels refreshed," Tortorella said. "He was very energetic on the bench."

Michkov has five points (three goals, two assists) in two career meetings with Connor McDavid and Edmonton. There is no doubt he gets up for big moments.

"In the first period, he danced around me," Michkov said with a smile through translator Slava Kuznetsov, a Flyers consultant. "My head's still spinning a little bit."

Tippett had a ton of jump to his game and Couturier complemented the two wingers extremely well.

• Samuel Ersson continued to do his job in net with 15 saves on 18 shots. He has been awfully good since Christmas.

The Flyers held McDavid scoreless.

"I think it's just awareness," Tippett said. "Knowing whenever he's on the ice and whoever's out there has to know how to handle him and pick him up. I think we did a great job throughout, no matter who was out there on the ice with him, and shut him down."

Since the superstar center entered the league as an 18-year-old, the Flyers have gone 6-2-0 against the Oilers when he visits Philadelphia. In those eight matchups, McDavid has put up nine points (three goals, six assists).

At Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, McDavid has wreaked havoc on the Flyers with 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists) over nine games. The Flyers are just 2-6-1 in those matchups.

Two days ago, the three-time MVP buried the gold-winning overtime goal for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off to beat Team USA.

Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner stopped 26 of the Flyers' 31 shots.

• Andrei Kuzmenko padded the Flyers' lead to 5-3 in the second period on a superb give-and-go power play goal. The return pass came from Travis Konecny. It was Kuzmenko's first goal with the Flyers in his second game.

"You can see that he wants that puck on the power play," Tortorella said. "Right away, he's tapping the stick, T.K. makes a great pass. He knows where to go, he adds some skill, he adds some enthusiasm, he seems like a really good kid. We need to get 200 feet, too, at certain times. Judging from what I've seen of him in the short time I've had him, I think he's very coachable."

The 29-year-old Russian winger is gifted offensively and the Flyers have badly needed that type of playmaking on their power play.

"You can see his offense, you can see his skill," Tortorella said. "The encouraging thing to me, I think he makes a couple of mistakes defensively, I correct him on the bench as we're playing, the same type of plays come to him and he makes the correction. ... I watch the play away from the puck, I see him make the corrections right away, that really sits well with me as far as understanding that part of it. And we'll let him go offensively."

• With the help of the break, the Flyers were a much healthier team Saturday compared to when they last played two weeks ago.

Tippett, Ristolainen, Egor Zamula and Ryan Poehling all returned from upper-body injuries.

"I think the break came at a good time for me," Tippett said. "Obviously it sucks being out, but luckily it came at a good time and I'm happy to be back in."

And the Flyers got their first look at Jakob Pelletier. Over three weeks after being acquired in the trade with the Flames, the 23-year-old winger finally made his Flyers debut.

Pelletier played on the fourth line and gave the Flyers solid minutes.

• The Flyers are scheduled to practice Monday at 11 a.m. ET before hosting the Penguins on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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