Devils’ hot start becoming a thing of the past

PHILADELPHIA — Jake Voracek had a goal and had two assists, and the Flyers finally played some solid defense in a 5-2 win over the Devils on Saturday.

Voracek, who was demoted from the Flyers’ top line, took a loose puck at center ice and kept it himself on a 2-on-1 breakaway, beating Keith Kinkaid for his third goal of the season to put the Flyers ahead 3-2 with 3:10 remaining.

Travis Konecny and Nolan Patrick also scored, and Scott Laughton and Wayne Simmonds added empty-net goals for the Flyers, who limited the Devils to just 21 shots. Philadelphia had allowed four goals or more in five of its first seven games.

Brian Elliott, who was pulled after giving up four goals to the Panthers last Tuesday, bounced back to make 19 saves and earn his second win of the season.

Damon Severson and Brian Boyle scored for the Devils, who have lost two straight games after winning their first four. Kinkaid made 16 saves.

“To lose a game against a good team on the road, it was casual,” Boyle said. “Yeah, it’s disappointing, but we gotta get better. All of us could be better. Everybody who goes on that bench, for every game we got to be ready to go, need to be dialed in. It’s really disappointing.”

Voracek stripped Will Butcher and made a cross-ice pass to Patrick for a tap-in goal that put the Flyers ahead 2-1 with about a minute left in the second period. Voracek added his second assist on Laughton’s empty-netter.

Konecny scored the Flyers’ first goal with a wrist shot from the right circle on a power play, his second of the season after going without a goal in his first six games. It was the first goal this season from Philadelphia’s second power-play unit. Wayne Simmonds’ goal was his sixth of the season.

Severson put the Devils ahead just over four minutes into the game.

Boyle tied it for the Devils with a power-play goal early in the third period. Flyers coach Dave Hakstol challenged the goal, citing goaltender interference, and although Kyle Palmieri’s skate was in the crease and made contact with Elliott’s stick, replay officials ruled the contact was incidental and let the goal stand.

“We don’t win many challenges here,” Elliott said. “So I wasn’t surprised.”