Sean Couturier collected a goal and an assist to lead the Flyers to a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, Philadelphia’s second straight win to kick off a three-game road trip through Western Canada.
James van Riemsdyk also scored for the Flyers while captain Claude Giroux collected two assists and goaltender Martin Jones made 27 saves in his hometown.
Quinn Hughes replied for the injury-riddled Canucks, who have lost two consecutive games. Goalie Jaroslav Halak stopped 26 shots in the loss.
For the fifth time in six games this season, the Flyers opened the scoring when Couturier lit the lamp just 22 seconds into the clash. Giroux started a three-way play that ended when Couturier one-timed a cross-ice pass from Travis Konecny for his third goal of the campaign. With his helper, Giroux extended his point-scoring streak to six games.
Hughes evened the score at the 2:15 mark with his second goal of the season. The ultra-talented defenseman sent a long point shot that somehow made it through the maze of skaters in front of the net and into the cage.
van Riemsdyk completed an ingenious play to put the Flyers ahead 2-1 for the eventual game-winner.
From the left circle, Giroux sent a bounce pass off the end boards — behind the net — to Couturier at the far side of the cage. Couturier neatly corralled the puck before sending it to the front of the net, which set up van Riemsdyk for the tap-in tally; his first goal of the season came at 6:58 of the first period.
From there, it was up to Jones to hold the fort. Jones especially made the difference in the second period. On top of a stretch when the Canucks had 14 consecutive shots on goal, Jones was key during a stanza in which the Canucks held a 16-5 shots edge.
The game took another bite out of the Vancouver roster, which is already without a few forwards and a couple of key defensemen. Forward Matthew Highmore left in the second period due to injury and didn’t return.
–Field Level Media
