The Philadelphia Flyers (19-11-4) put an end to their 2-game losing streak with a big 4-1 win coming out of the long break against the Western Conference’s best club and a team tied for the most points in the league in the Vancouver Canucks.
After being the only team who shut them out this season after a 2-0 win back on October 17th, the Flyers held them off the scoresheet for the first 40+ minutes. However, it was a big push in the second period that secured the victory after scoring 3 goals in a span of 2:06.
Egor Zamula tallied a power play goal, and Sean Walker then scored off the rush before Joel Farabee finished off a breakaway opportunity. Teddy Blueger scored 25 seconds into the third, then Samuel Ersson was then forced out due to dehydration, but a Garnet Hathaway shorthanded goal put the final nail in the coffin.
Travis Konecny also left in the third period and did not return.
The Flyers returned from the Christmas break with a measuring stick game against the West-leading Canucks. They entered the break with back-to-back losses against the Nashville Predators on home ice and then falling in the shootout against the Detroit Red Wings after mounting a ridiculous comeback.
With the Flyers playing the Seattle Kraken on Friday where Carter Hart played his junior hockey, Samuel Ersson got the start against the Canucks, Egor Zamula was in for Marc Staal, and Rhett Gardner was held out of the lineup with the rest of the team healthy.
As for the Canucks, they entered tonight with a 23-9-3 record, carried a 9-game point streak, were first in the Pacific Division, Western Conference, and incidentally tied for the lead in the NHL as well with the New York Rangers – who have 3 games in hand. They entered the game with the most goals scored per game thanks in part to their high flying offense that included J.T. Miller (48 points), Quinn Hughes (44), Elias Pettersson (43), and Brock Boeser (24 goals).
In their first game out of the break and no games on the schedule until the 2nd of January, Rick Tocchet opted to roll with backup goaltender Casey DeSmith who sported a 6-2-2 record, 2.44 GAA, and a .920 SV% on the season.
FIRST PERIOD
1:21 into the game, Nils Höglander was sent to the penalty box for a tripping minor. After a not so inspiring start to their power play, Joel Farabee was whistled for a holding minor with 33 seconds left on Höglander’s penalty.
The first period didn’t have much to report about outside of a few scoring chances at the beginning, primarily off the stick of Travis Konecny, who was robbed by DeSmith in the opening minute.
The Flyers outshot the Canucks 13-7, which isn’t all too surprising considering that the Canucks entered tonight 29th in the league in shots on goal – but 1st in shooting percentage – while the Flyers were a top-5 club in that category.
SECOND PERIOD
Farabee was awarded his 2nd minor penalty of the game at the 6:06 mark of the second period for interference. The electrifying power play of the Canucks had their fair share of chances but they either flubbed on the shot or missed the net high and wide.
The first half of the period rightfully belonged to the Canucks, who came out of the intermission with gusto. The Flyers had issues traversing the neutral zone and setting up in the offensive end, but fortunately Ersson was sharp whenever tasked with chances.
With the Flyers picking up the pace, Owen Tippett was able to draw an interference penalty against Tyler Myers with 5:42 remaining. The struggling power play that was 1 for their last 24 struck in the early going thanks in large part to a point shot from Egor Zamula with a mass of bodies in front of Casey DeSmith.
The goal represented his 2nd of the season and incidentally his 2nd against the Canucks this year.
Shortly after Zamula’s tally, Sean Walker added one of his own to make it 2-0 with 3:36 remaining. Sean Couturier got the puck out from his below his own goal line to Travis Konecny, who exited the zone and patiently waited until he entered the offensive zone before he found Tippett, who craftily one-touched it to Walker for the off-the-rush shot.
Farabee then joined the goal parade 45 seconds later after Nikita Zadorov was stripped of the puck by Bobby Brink, which allowed Farabee to walk in all alone on DeSmith and slipped it past the keeper for his 12th of the season.
The Flyers opened the floodgates at the end of the period with 3 goals in a span of 2:06. Ersson did his job between the pipes to keep the Canucks off the board, which allowed the Flyers to get their feet moving and grab the lead heading into the third period.
THIRD PERIOD
25 seconds into the third period, one of the hottest lines in all of hockey got the Canucks on the board. Dakota Joshua was able to get past Travis Sanheim and thread a pass past a diving Cam York to Teddy Blueger for his 5th of the season, while also extending his point streak to 7 games.
At the 2:36 mark of the period, Ersson left the ice and went straight down the tunnel with an undisclosed ailment. In lieu of his absence, Carter Hart was thrust into goal at a pivotal point of the game. Travis Konecny was also not present on the bench.
A couple minutes later at the 4:51 mark, Cam Atkinson went after Noah Juulsen after he delivered a heavy hit on Farabee along the boards. Atkinson was handed the extra minor penalty for roughing.
10 seconds into the Canucks’ man advantage, Garnet Hathaway scored his 4th goal of the season and added to the Flyers’ shorthanded tally total at 8 – tied for second in the league.
Ryan Poehling was the star of the play after he won the faceoff by directing the puck forward, then pushed it past Quinn Hughes before catching up to it in the offensive zone and then sent a seed of a pass to Hathaway. His first shot was stopped before he potted the rebound.
With 8:39 remaining, Brock Boeser was whistled for a tripping minor. The Flyers were unable to add to their lead, but word was given that Ersson was forced out of the game due to dehydration.
Carter Hart finished off the game by making 8 stops, Ersson earned his 9th victory of the season, and mum’s the word on Konecny for the time being as the Flyers head out to Seattle for another late night game tomorrow night after a major win tonight against the Canucks.
UP NEXT
The Flyers head out to Seattle to face Dave Hakstol and the Kraken (10:00pm ET, NBCSP) on Friday night to finish off the back-to-back set.
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