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Flyers come off break and fall to Devils

The bye week was supposed to help the Flyers refocus and make a strong second-half push toward the playoffs.  But when they returned to the ice Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center, they didn't look much different from before their break.

The bye week was supposed to help the Flyers refocus and make a strong second-half push toward the playoffs.

But when they returned to the ice Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Center, they didn't look much different from before their break.

Too many penalties. Too many defensive breakdowns. Too many power-play goals allowed.

New Jersey 4, Flyers 1.

The Flyers have lost 12 of their last 15 games and are in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff hunt only because of their 10-game winning streak earlier this season.

Their latest loss was against a team that had played the previous night. The Flyers were well-rested as they hadn't played since last Sunday.

"You're not going to win many games when you score one goal," right winger Jake Voracek said.

A controversial penalty on defenseman Radko Gudas led to a five-on-three power-play goal that snapped a 1-1 tie and gave the Devils the lead for good late in the second period.

"Of course it was a bad call . . . but we had six power plays" and failed to score on any of them, Voracek said.

In what looked like a clean hip check on Miles Wood, Gudas was assessed a clipping penalty by referee Dan O'Halloran. Alternate captain Wayne Simmonds argued the call and was given an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty.

"I didn't agree with the penalty and I got an exta two. That's my fault," Simmonds said. "And they score a goal to make it 2-1. That's a momentum changer and I take all the blame for that."

That gave New Jersey a five-on-three for a full two minutes. Just 17 seconds after the two penalties, Kyle Palmieri fired a right-circle shot past Michal Neuvirth to put the Devils ahead, 2-1, with 4 minutes, 9 seconds left in the second period.

With 47.1 seconds remaining in the second, a bad line change led to Wood's goal, putting the Devils ahead, 3-1. Wood (two goals) blew past the Flyers defense and beat Neuvirth, marking the 20th time this season the Flyers had allowed a goal in the final two minutes of a period.

The Gudas penalty changed the game. According to the NHL, clipping is assessed if a hit is across or below the knees. Gudas hit Wood in the ribs.

"I didn't think it was a penalty at all," Gudas said.

At the start of the third period, Neuvirth was replaced by Steve Mason, who is expected to start Sunday night against the host New York Islanders. General manager Ron Hextall said Neuvirth was removed for precautionary medical reasons.

New Jersey made it 4-1 on Wood's power-play goal, a tap-in, with 15:34 left in the third. It was the Devils' second power-play tally of the night and it gave Wood his first career two-goal game.

"We're taking bad penalties at the wrong time and it's costing us the games," Neuvirth said.

For the ninth time in the last 10 games, the Flyers allowed the first goal. Pavel Zacha, left uncovered near the slot, took a deft drop pass from Jacob Josefson and put a backhander past Neuvirth with 12:49 left in the first.

A little less than four minutes later, the Flyers tied it as rookie Travis Konecny scored on a scramble, knocking the puck off goalie Keith Kinkaid's pads and into the net just as their power play expired.

Kinkaid (35 saves) was playing for the second straight night because No. 1 goalie Cory Schneider was battling the flu.

Konecny scored after Nick Cousins put a shot on goal with a backhander.

"I thought they were going to call Cuzzy's name" for the goal, Konecny said after he was credited with his eighth of the season. "I threw my stick in the general area of the puck underneath his pad. As I skated around the net, the puck was in."

It's their only goal in the last two games.

Breakaways. The Flyers had an 85-48 advantage in shot attempts, but the Devils blocked 32 shots. . . . Ivan Provorov collected his 18th assist, putting him fifth among NHL rookies.  ...  Claude Giroux has one goal in his last 18 games.  ...  Goalie Anthony Stolarz and center Jordan Weal reportedly were kept out of the Phantoms' lineup Saturday with minor injuries.  ...  The Flyers had their entire roster healthy for the first time all season.

scarchidi@phillynews.com

@BroadStBull www.philly.com/flyersblog