By Canadian Press

Philadelphia Flyers stifle Vancouver Canucks in 4-1 win

Dec 28, 2023 | 10:10 PM

VANCOUVER — A three-goal flurry late in the second period allowed the Philadelphia Flyers to ease to a 4-1 win and snap the Vancouver Canucks’ nine-game point streak on Thursday night.

Egor Zamula, Sean Walker and Joel Farabee all netted goals across a span of two minutes and six seconds to break open the scoring.

Garnet Hathaway added the other for Philadelphia (19-11-4), which snapped a two-game losing skid.

Samuel Ersson stopped 18-of-19 shots in 42:36 of action as the starter in net. Carter Hart replaced Ersson in the third period and was perfect in facing eight shots.

Teddy Blueger had the lone response for Vancouver (23-10-3), which entered the contest having gone 7-0-2 in its last nine games.

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Casey DeSmith stopped 21 shots in his sixth career start against the Flyers. 

Zamula opened the scoring at 15:03 of the second period on a wrist shot from just inside the blue line that evaded everyone on its way in.

Travis Konecny led a breakout from Philadelphia’s own zone, passing to Owen Tippet who dove to make the final cross-ice pass to an open Walker who doubled the lead at 16:24.

Vancouver defenceman Nikita Zadorov went to lead an attack but was pickpocketed, with Farabee later finishing off the play at 17:03 of the middle frame.

Vancouver sought a way back into the game with Dakota Joshua driving up ice and finding an open Blueger, who scored his fifth of the season 25 seconds into the third period.

But Hathaway extinguished those hopes with a short-handed goal after DeSmith gave up a rebound off the forward’s initial shot, allowing Hathaway to finish it off on the second chance.

The Flyers had the better of the scoring chances in the opening period and outshot the Canucks 13-7.

NOTES 

Canucks defenceman Carson Soucy partook in Thursday’s morning skate and is in contention to play in Vancouver’s next game … Thursday’s contest against Vancouver was Flyers coach John Tortorella’s 1,499th in the NHL … It was Zadorov’s 600th career NHL game … Former Canucks forward Markus Naslund, whose number was retired in 2010, attended Thursday’s game … Vancouver’s Conor Garland wore a neckguard in the loss one day after wearing one in practice and saying he thought the uptake would increase.

UP NEXT 

Vancouver will host the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 2, 2024.

Philadelphia travels to Seattle to play the Kraken on Friday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 28, 2023.

Nick Wells, The Canadian Press