What we learned from the Kings’ 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers

There was respect (a pregame ceremony for the now-retired Simon Gagne, who spent most of his NHL career with the Flyers and part of it with the Kings) and a thrill-a-second overtime, plus a shootout. A few more takeaways from another eventful trip to Philadelphia:

Backchecking becomes a highlight

One of the (many) wild moments of the 3-on-3 overtime was Kings defenseman Alec Martinez using his speed to get back to thwart a quality scoring opportunity.

“That was pretty crazy how fast he got back there,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. “Good thing he was at the beginning of his shift. When you’re playing three-on-three, it gets pretty tiring out there.”

Said Anze Kopitar: “Marty usually has really good wheels. I’m not surprised he caught up to that guy, not disrespecting the guy at all. He is usually faster than anybody else on the ice.”

Kings figuring out the wrinkles of 3-on-3 overtime on the fly

Kings goalie Jonathan Quick was his usual brilliant self in overtime. The Kings have won twice in overtime and once in the shootout this season, all with Quick.

“It’s exciting. Just exchanging chances back and forth,” Quick said. “[Goalie Steve] Mason made some great saves for them to keep the game going.”

Kings captain Dustin Brown said they are adjusting to the new format.

“The thought process is a lot different,” Brown said. “You want to jump in but what happens is that the goalie makes a big save and it’s a 2-on-0 or 3-on-0 the other way.

“Quickie is Quickie. When we went to 3-on-3 in training camp, one of the keys to the format is having a goalie who can make those saves for you.”

Hellos … and goodbyes

Flyers rookie Shayne Gostisbehere, playing in his fourth NHL game, scored his first NHL goal.

Kings right wing Tyler Toffoli has been around longer, of course, but hit an early career mark, recording his 100th career NHL point with his third-period assist on Milan Lucic’s game-tying goal with less than a minute remaining.

There’s plenty ahead for the likes of Gostisbehere and Toffoli, but fans were able to say goodbye to Gagne at Wells Fargo Center in a pre-game ceremony. He spoke to the media after the first period and said there was a lot of emotion for him on Tuesday night.

“That’s the first thing that comes to my mind, having my family here, my friends, my kids, the people that I know,” Gagne said. “My dad passed away. I wish he was here tonight but like I said, a lot of emotion and really a lot of class from the Flyers to do something like this.”

He referenced his time in Los Angeles and Stanley Cup championship in 2012 when he was asked about the passionate fan base in Philadelphia.

“They are going to push you and help you and they’re very loyal,” Gagne said of the Flyers’ fans. “This is the best place to play hockey. I won a Cup in Los Angeles and it will be something that I remember the rest of my life, but always going to be a Flyer.”