Flyers vs. Stars: Carter Hart returns, but Dallas too much for John Tortorella's club
Even with Hart's return, Flyers can't handle Stars in 5th straight loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The playoff-ready Stars were too much for the playing-out-the-string Flyers.
John Tortorella's club suffered a 4-1 loss Thursday night to Dallas at American Airlines Center.
The Flyers (29-36-13) have dropped five or more consecutive games for the second time this season (0-4-1). They lost 10 straight back in November (0-7-3).
There are four games left in the season.
The team is 0-3-0 on its four-game road trip and has been outscored 12-5. It hasn't won away from home since Feb. 20.
The Stars (43-21-14) have 100 points and are vying for the Central Division crown.
Dallas utterly dominated the Flyers in the two-game regular-season series, sweeping them by a combined score of 9-2.
• Carter Hart returned to the net after missing the past five games with a lower-body injury. He was not welcomed back kindly.
The Stars put the 24-year-old under siege in the second period. Jason Robertson's second goal of the night and his 45th on the season made it 4-0 a little over midway through the game.
Dallas grabbed a 2-0 lead on skillful power play goals.
Robertson opened the game's scoring with only 1.3 seconds left in the first period. He made a talented play by regathering the puck after Nick Seeler blocked his initial shot and quickly firing it past Hart.
Just 1:04 minutes into the middle stanza, the Stars padded the advantage with a double deflection at the net front.
After Dallas' pair of man advantage goals, the Flyers played little defense on Colin Miller's 3-0 marker.
Hart finished with 26 saves.
Stars netminder Jake Oettinger, who is younger than Hart by about four months, converted 24 saves for his 34th win.
• Kevin Hayes snapped a slump of 23 straight games without a goal when he got the Flyers on the board in the second period. Owen Tippett found him from behind the net. Rasmus Ristolainen started the sequence with strong effort in the neutral zone.
But Dallas wasn't going to let the Flyers flirt with a comeback. It never lost control of the game.
Hayes is one point away from matching his career of 55.
• Morgan Frost had his five-game point streak come to an end.
Frost had been a point-per-game player over his previous 14 games, with all eight of his goals and six assists coming at even strength.
• James van Riemsdyk, to no surprise, has been a pro after he was somehow not traded at the March 3 deadline.
He will no longer be a Flyer when free agency arrives this summer and he's not a fighter. But his character was on display when he stood up for Scott Laughton during the third period.
Laughton appeared shaken up from a Luke Glendening hit, which was whistled as interference. Van Riemsdyk defended his teammate and close friend by getting into a scrap with Glendening.
• Tony DeAngelo sat as the Flyers went back to the traditional look of 12 forwards and six blueliners. Defensive prospect Ronnie Attard saw the second game of his audition, while Tanner Laczynski got a chance at fourth-line center.
• The road trip wraps up Saturday when the Flyers visit the Islanders (7:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
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