Dave Isaac

@davegisaac

PHILADELPHIA — Perhaps Travis Konecny wasn’t fibbing when he said he couldn’t remember the details of his goal Tuesday night, his first in the NHL.

What was clearer in his mind was that it sparked two more goals to help the Flyers dig out of a three-score deficit and ultimately win in a shootout.

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Even if he was fibbing, that kind of modesty is what the Flyers like about the 19-year-old left wing, who has played well enough early this season that his first goal could have come much earlier than his seventh game.

“He has been an impact player,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “Apart from the obvious things you see on the ice, I see a guy that is working hard on his game. He does that every day. He has got a good level of humility to him, which I think endears him to the older guys in the room. He keeps his mouth shut and works and that’s a positive.”

The Flyers have a pair of 19-year-old rookies on the team, but it seems like for the first seven games Konecny has gotten less attention than defenseman Ivan Provorov.

There are a couple reasons why that may be the case; A. it’s a lot harder for a young defenseman to stay in the league than a young forward because the mistakes they make are way more visible and B. Provorov has shown both flashes of silky smoothness and rocky games to amplify both ends of the spectrum.

“Those kids are ready to play these days,” Jake Voracek said. “Eighteen, 19, it doesn’t matter the age. In the NHL, you’re training so hard in the summer that the game is changing so much. When you look at Provorov out there, he’s 19 and he’s crushing guys like he’s 28. He’s a very strong player. Kony is a fast player. They are ready to make an impact on the team and they already are.”

In the case of Konecny, he’s on the second line playing with Voracek and Sean Couturier, although Hakstol switched things up by the third period of Tuesday’s win and made Claude Giroux the center instead. Entering Wednesday’s action, Konecny’s five assists put him in a four-way tie for the most among NHL rookies.

“I’ve been saying I think the credit has to go to Jakey and Coots for getting me that confidence game in and game out,” Konecny said. “They set me up and they gave me those great opportunities and it builds my confidence. I feel in my game that maybe that point or that goal was coming because every shift they’re putting me in good positions.”

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While Hakstol has bemoaned the team’s inconsistency so far this season, Konecny has been pretty solid. There don’t appear to be issues in the consistency of his effort like some rookies have. He may already be just as talented a passer as Giroux and all these things have somewhat gone under the radar with Provorov, who led the Flyers in ice time Tuesday, getting the lion’s share of the attention. Konecny knows that it’s a much different story for a rookie defenseman than a rookie winger.

“For a guy coming in as a defenseman like that, it’s really impressive,” Konecny said. “You got guys game in and game out coming at you that are putting up 80 to 100 points (per season) and he does it with confidence and off the ice is a humble kid. It’s impressive to see and I’m excited for him because we got drafted the same year, we came up together and going through these camps and motivating each other to stay on the team. Yeah, it’s been an awesome start for him as well.”

It may be just as likely that Provorov someday is the Flyers’ No. 1 defenseman as it is that Konecney is someday captain of the team. Even though it took him seven games to score his first goal, his game has been there all along and his maturity off the ice suggests that he’s far from a 19-year-old rookie.

It also helps when your first NHL goal sparks a three-goal comeback and shootout victory.

“Of course,” Giroux said. “He has been buzzing all season long and he has a lot of character and he competes every game. It obviously gives you a little boost.”

“Personally I’ve been feeling good,” Konecny added, “but it goes back to the confidence that the staff has in me and the opportunity that I’m getting as a 19 year old to play the minutes that I am. Playing with these players that have been in the league for a number of years, it makes it easy for me when I’m just moving my feet and playing my game. It kind of just fits in with the way they play.”

Dave Isaac; (856) 486-2479;disaac@gannettnj.com.

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