Flyers 3, Canucks 1: Woll's third-period stand ends Philadelphia's skid
Philadelphia scored early in each of the first two periods, then survived a 13-2 shot deficit in the third to end a three-game losing streak in Vancouver.
The Philadelphia Flyers built a two-goal lead in Vancouver on Monday night and then spent the third period holding on to it. Joseph Woll made 12 of his 18 saves in the final 20 minutes, and the 3-1 win at Rogers Arena ended a three-game losing streak (0-2-1) for a team that, as NBC Sports Philadelphia noted, had given up third-period leads in its two previous losses.
A fast start
Michael Bunting, back in the lineup on the top line after five straight games as a healthy scratch, opened the scoring 2:03 into the first period. According to NHL.com's recap, Christian Dvorak was sent in on a partial break that Canucks defenseman Luke Schenn broke up, and Bunting skated onto the loose puck in the slot and snapped it over Leevi Merilainen's glove. It was his first goal of the season.
Travis Konecny doubled the lead on a power play 3:05 into the second period, taking a pass from Matvei Michkov behind the net and beating Merilainen short side from the bottom of the left circle. NBC Sports Philadelphia counted it as the Flyers' ninth power-play goal in their last 11 games. Dvorak finished with two assists.
Through 40 minutes, Vancouver had six shots on goal.
The third period turned
Tyson Foerster appeared to make it 3-0 just 25 seconds into the third, but Vancouver challenged for offside and the goal came off the board. From there the game tilted. The Canucks outshot the Flyers 13-2 in the period and had three power plays in the final 10 minutes.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki converted one of them at 12:44, one-timing a pass from Brock Boeser from the left circle to make it 2-1, and he hit the crossbar on another power play less than two minutes later. Then, at 17:11, Woll was penalized for pulling off his helmet after a strap came loose, per NHL.com, and Vancouver pulled Merilainen for a 6-on-4.
It ended the other way. Travis Sanheim scored short-handed into the empty net at 19:01. Merilainen finished with 14 saves.
What it means
One win does not change the shape of a 5-10-5 record, but it steadied a road trip that needed it. Philadelphia had lost 4-3 in overtime in Calgary the night before and came out of Vancouver 1-1-1 three games into a five-game swing, with Edmonton next on Wednesday. The Flyers were still without defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who missed a seventh straight game with an upper-body injury, according to NHL.com.
For Vancouver the picture is bleaker. The Canucks are 3-16-1, have lost six in a row, all in regulation, and have the fewest points in the NHL. Coach Manny Malhotra singled out his team's start as the most frustrating part of the night, NHL.com reported, and the numbers back him up: a goal against in the opening minutes and six shots in two periods left too much to do in one. Defenseman Tom Willander missed a fourth straight game with a lower-body injury.