The Flyers are, indeed, so back.

Gordie Howe hat tricks, shorthanded goals, and Travis Konecny throwing hands with any Jets player that looked at him the wrong way, oh my! 

The Flyers' home meeting with the Winnipeg Jets certainly did not disappoint, and has helped take fans from the "it's so over" atmosphere of the pre-All-Star break losing streak to the "we're so back" rallying cry of back-to-back wins against two very formidable teams. The city of Philadelphia will be lulled to sleep by the Squirtle Saxophone Song tonight!

Travis Konecny, The Man That You Are!

I don't know what was in the water at the All-Star Game, but Travis Konecny has come back from it looking like the player fans know and love. An uncharacteristic scoring slump in January caused some concern for the Flyers' "captain," but Konecny looks to have shaken off whatever funk he was in. 

Not only has he scored in both of the Flyers' games since coming from the All-Star break, but he even recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist, and a fight) in just the first period of tonight's game against the Jets. He had pucks and fists flying, not hesitating to scrap with any Jets player that looked at him or one of his teammates sideways. That notorious TK antagonizer energy is back in full force, and it's palpable throughout the entire arena. 

Shorthanded? No Problem!

The power play has been a point of contention this season, but the Flyers' penalty kill is where they shine. With Ryan Poehling's goal against the Jets, the Flyers are tied with the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues for most shorthanded goals across the NHL (11). 

The penalty kill alone has been a testament to how good the Flyers defensive game can be, but to add in the ability to score when they're down a man shows just how effective they can be in adverse situations. 

"Travis Who?"

Only John Tortorella could find a way to not be in a celebratory mood after a 4-1 win against one of the best teams in the league. In a press conference that was only about a minute long, Tortorella gave very short answers to questions posed to him about the electric win, and wasn't keen on handing out any praise to Travis Konecny—so much so that when asked about Konecny's Gordie Howe hat trick, Tortorella simply responded with, "Travis who?" 

It might seem jarring at first (maybe not if you're familiar with Tortorella, but anyway), but the Flyers did get outplayed in the last 40 minutes of the game. Their first period 3-0 cushion helped immensely, while Konecny himself admitted that without Sam Ersson, the Jets "probably could've clawed their way back into [the game]." 

Tortorella's response to this win is more of a positive than anything. The Flyers are now at a point where they're not just satisfied with winning—they want to win convincingly. In Tortorella's own words from back in December, teams are playing playoff hockey now. If the Flyers want to make the playoffs and prove that this season's success isn't some kind of outlier, they have to start putting together good wins. Clearly, Tortorella did not view this win as good enough.

The Flyers will continue their homestand against the Seattle Kraken on Feb. 10 at 7 pm EST.