PHILADELPHIA — Trevor Zegras barely knew Travis Konecny before sauntering into the Philadelphia Flyers’ dressing room for the first time.

But he still had some first-person knowledge of how Konecny approaches certain elements of the game.

“The only thing I remember from our days battling was, I lined up for a faceoff next to him and he two-handed me in the back of the leg,” Zegras said this week, chuckling.

Konecny’s perception of Zegras was not dissimilar to how others viewed the brash young forward — including new Flyers coach Rick Tocchet, who straightforwardly questioned Zegras before the season began about whether he was in the league for “clicks on social media” or to “win hockey games.”

That said, Konecny was a bit more understanding. When asked about Zegras’ reputation for being as much of a hot dog as a hockey player, he said: “Maybe a little bit as far as all the flashy stuff, but he was young when he came in. He spent some years there in Anaheim where they weren’t too good, and he was just having fun. Whether that was what everyone liked to see or not, he was enjoying it.

“He’s been in the league for six years now,” Konecny continued, “and he realizes what gets it done, and what doesn’t.”

The stats suggest as much. Zegras is in the midst of the best season of his NHL career, leading the Flyers in goals (17) and points (41) after 42 games. The infusion of skill he’s brought to the Flyers’ lineup has been invaluable, and something that the team has been searching for since it traded Claude Giroux in 2022. Tocchet has steadfastly praised Zegras for taking to heart what the coach wants him to do on the ice, while being curious and attentive off of it.

On Tuesday against his former team, the Anaheim Ducks, Zegras scored the Flyers’ first two goals in a 5-2 win, giving the sellout home crowd precisely what it desired in what was the most electrically charged atmosphere of the season. The performance — which featured a number of slick moves with the puck, in addition to his two scores from difficult angles — suggests that when the lights are brightest, Zegras can raise his game to another level. That bodes well for what is to come, as the Flyers continue to battle for a playoff spot over the second half.

Still, Zegras’ obviously pre-planned goal celebration, in which he mimicked hanging up a phone — a nod to how brief the call was over the summer informing him of the trade — as well as his viral, expletive-laden postgame interview afterward with Scott Hartnell, reminded everyone that Zegras’ personality is always going to be an integral part of who he is.

That’s just fine with his teammates, and his previously skeptical coach.

“The one thing is, we’ve allowed Trevor to be Trevor,” Tocchet said. “He’s a fun guy to be around.”

There’s been a frequent, conspicuous sight after Flyers wins — Zegras and Konecny, still in full gear or at least half-dressed in their sweaters and equipment, sitting next to one another in the Flyers’ dressing room, chatting, giggling and snickering about whatever just transpired on the ice. The two have been linemates for more than a month now, with Christian Dvorak in the middle, so there’s been plenty to converse about lately.