What’s going right for the Flyers? Just about everything in their 11-3-1 run

NEWARK, N.J. — Let’s first state the obvious: There’s a whole lot that has to go right for any team to go on an 11-3-1 run. That’s the Philadelphia Flyers’ record in their last 15 games after a businesslike 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night at Prudential Center.

But it’s fairly remarkable just how much has gone right for this club, which slightly strengthened its grip on third place in the Metropolitan Division.

• Owen Tippett continues to play at another level since the trade deadline. Tippett helped set the tone for the Flyers early Tuesday, taking a lead pass from Travis Konecny and making a subtle move to freeze defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler before wheeling around the net. Tippett found the open stick of Travis Sanheim on the strong side, and Sanheim immediately found an open Trevor Zegras with a seam pass to finish off a pretty passing sequence at 1:56 of the first period.

Tippett drew a trip on Jack Hughes 25 seconds later, thanks to a quick speed burst at the offensive blue, putting the Flyers on the power play, leading to Zegras’ second goal.

“We knew we had to come out on time,” said Tippett, who has nine goals and 15 points in his last 17 games. “Obviously, you get two quick like that, it lifts the room up.”

• Zegras keeps producing since moving to center one month ago, finding the scoresheet in nine of his last 10 games (three goals, eight assists). Notably, his pair of scores Tuesday in the first 3:38 were the second-fastest two goals to start a game in Flyers history (Brian Propp, 1:58 on Feb. 27, 1982).

Regarding the opportunity to play in games that matter for the first time in his NHL career, Zegras said, “It’s amazing. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this, like, this rush of winning. It’s exciting.”

Coach Rick Tocchet was effusive in his praise of Zegras, who has a career-high 25 goals, eclipsing his previous high of 23.

“Right from the beginning, Trevor came to us; he wants to play in meaningful games,” Tocchet said. “I hate using the word playoffs, but he wants to make the playoffs. He hasn’t played a playoff game. I think he wants to prove a lot of people wrong. He’s played with a chip on his shoulder, and I love that he’s played with a chip on his shoulder. Pushes the pace. And like I’ve said, he’s a real good locker room guy.”

• Porter Martone hasn’t looked like a rookie since making his NHL debut just one week ago. The 19-year-old followed up his overtime winner (and pretty assist) Sunday against the Boston Bruins with another point Tuesday. It was his pass to the front of the net to a charging Zegras that upped the Flyers’ lead to 2-0, giving him 4 points (one goal, three assists) in his first five career games.

• Tyson Foerster wasn’t even supposed to return before the end of the regular season with a shoulder injury. Instead, he seems to have picked up right where he left off Dec. 1 when he got hurt. The owner of arguably the best shot on the team, Foerster ripped a pair of goals past Jacob Markstrom in the second period, helping restore momentum to the Flyers’ side after the Devils pushed over the latter half of the opening frame, including a Cody Glass goal that cut Philadelphia’s lead to 2-1.

Foerster, who led the Flyers with 10 goals when he came out of the lineup, has three goals in his first four games back.

“Legs were sore after the back-to-back (against the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders last week),” Foerster said, “but got the day off (Monday) and feel good now, for sure.”

• Matvei Michkov is noticeably more mobile and effective lately, looking much more like he did last season than he did in the first half of this one. After serving a bench minor for too many men on the ice, Michkov chased down a loose puck in the second period to spring Foerster on a rush the other way that resulted in Foerster’s first goal at 2:46, and began the passing sequence that ended with Foerster’s second goal a little more than two minutes later. Michkov has 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in his last 12 games.

Asked about the Flyers’ young players rising to the occasion lately in games of such importance, Tocchet specifically called out Michkov for his effort on Foerster’s first goal.

“He served the penalty, comes out of the box, wins a battle on the wall, we get a two-on-one,” Tocchet said. “These are big things.”

• The fourth line, which was giving the Flyers hardly anything in the early part of the season, is helping in several ways. Captain Sean Couturier and waiver pickup Luke Glendening have been the mainstays on that line, with a rotation on the left wing (Denver Barkey got a chance there Tuesday after he was a healthy scratch for the previous two).

Couturier’s accepting a lesser role and thriving in it has been particularly helpful. In fact, Tuesday, Couturier was on the ice against Hughes more than any other Flyers forward at five-on-five. Hughes had some chances but was ultimately held off the scoresheet.

Tocchet spoke about the confidence he has in the fourth line before the game.

“I’m relying on them (for defensive) zone faceoffs. I’ve been playing them against some good lines. Right there, (that shows) the confidence I have in them. They had to go against the big line against Boston. That’s hard to do. (Against the Islanders), a couple times they were out against (Matthew) Schaefer. … I give them a lot of credit because I’ve thrown a lot of different things at them.”

Further, Couturier and Glendening are often the first forward pair over the boards on the penalty kill. After Barkey went off for a third-period delay-of-the-game minor, Couturier won the initial defensive zone draw and cleared the puck. Moments later, his active stick broke up a pass in the Devils’ defensive zone, taking more time off the clock.

Glendening, too, has made a fan of his coach.

“As solid a veteran, character guy there is,” Tocchet said. “He just gets it done. Whatever he’s asked to do, never complains. He’s been a great addition. The guy’s ripped. He works out hard. He’s a great mentor for the young guys. He’s been a pleasure.”

• And, of course, there’s the goaltending. Dan Vladar has allowed just three goals in his last three games, making 23 saves on 24 shots Tuesday. His best work came late in the second period and with the Flyers up 4-1 when he denied Timo Meier twice from point-blank range and then smothered Hughes’ shot after the Olympic hero cut to the net untouched.

“Vladdy was fantastic,” said Nick Seeler, whose 166-foot empty net goal at 17:09 of the third period capped the scoring.

There’s more, of course. Noah Cates is still the Flyers’ leading scorer since the break, with 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists). Jamie Drysdale keeps playing steady defense. Christian Dvorak was arguably the Flyers’ best player in Sunday’s win over the Bruins. Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen are often getting the job done against the other team’s top line.

There’s still work to do. The Columbus Blue Jackets’ 4-3 shootout win over the Red Wings on Tuesday keeps them right on the Flyers’ heels, 2 points back with four regular-season games left to play. But the Flyers continue to show they’re not going to be easy to catch. There are just too many good things happening up and down their lineup to believe they’re suddenly going to fall apart.

“These are the games you want to play with each other, and for each other,” Seeler said. “It’s been a blast. I think this group has come together since the Olympic break, more than ever.”