Sean Couturier scored and added an assist as the Philadelphia Flyers used a quick start to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 on Thursday.
James van Riemsdyk also scored on the power play for the Flyers (4-1-1) and Claude Giroux had two assists.
Quinn Hughes scored for the Canucks (3-4-1).
All the goals came early in the first period.
Flyer goaltender Martin Jones, a Vancouver native, stopped 27 shots.
Vancouver goaltender Jaroslav Halak stopped 26 shots.
The Canucks had a chance with 1:20 remaining when Flyer defenceman Ivan Provoro was called for tripping. With Halak pulled, Vancouver had a six-on-four advantage and managed two shots but couldn’t score.
The Flyers, who had played the night before in Edmonton, showed more speed and controlled the puck early but the Canucks took over the play as the game progressed.
The night got off to a fast start with the teams scoring three goals in the first seven minutes, two of them 1:53 apart.
Philadelphia took advantage of a bad Vancouver pinch to score just 22 seconds into the first. Travis Konency got behind the Canuck defence and passed to Couturier who beat Halak on the far side.
Hughes tied the game at 2:15 with a shot from the blue line that looked to hit a Flyer defenceman and deflect past Jones.
Philadelphia took the lead again at 6:58, needing just 10 seconds to take advantage of Hughes being called for interference.
Giroux made a nice play, banking the puck off the back boards. Couturier picked up the puck and passed to van Riemsdyk, who scored into an open net.
Hughes scores the lone goal as the #Canucks fall to the Flyers, 2-1.@BudweiserCanada HIGHLIGHTS | https://t.co/5cOHXpNEor pic.twitter.com/cKGWnWBX1Q
— Vancouver #Canucks (@Canucks) October 29, 2021
The Canucks outshot the Flyers 16-5 in the second period but couldn’t find the back of the net. Juho Lammikko had one of the best Vancouver chances after Jones stopped a shot. The rebound went to Lammikko on the doorstep. He got the shot away, but Jones made the save.
Soon after Halak stopped Couturier who had a good scoring chance on a Philadelphia power play.
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NOTES: The Canucks scored on their first shot of the game but were outshot 15-4 in the first period. Giroux has a point in each of Philadelphia’s six games. … Vancouver registered their first win of the season against the Flyers, a 5-4 shootout road victory Oct. 15. … Former Canuck Zack MacEwen had a spirited second-period fight with Luke Schenn. …. The Canucks played without defenceman Tucker Poolman, who left Tuesday lost against Minnesota with an upper body injury. … The Flyers defeated the Oilers in Edmonton 5-3 Wednesday night. …. Philadelphia defenceman Keith Yandle played his 928th consecutive game. He last missed a regular season game in March 2009.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
