VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canucks coach Travis Green believes his team benefited from some lucky bounces against the slumping Philadelphia Flyers.
Brock Boeser had a goal and an assist to lead Vancouver to a 5-1 win over Philadelphia on Saturday night.
“It didn’t feel like a 5-1 game by any means, but we’ll take it for sure,” Green said.
Vancouver went 3-8-3 in November, but have turned things around this month with a 4-2-1 start.
“When you play the right way, you’d like to think that good things happen. And they did tonight,” Green said.
Chris Tanev, Loui Eriksson, Josh Leivo and Markus Granlund also scored for the Canucks, and Troy Stecher had two assists. Jacob Markstrom stopped 31 shots.
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“We’ve been doing a good job, but we can’t sit back and relax and be happy about that,” the goalie said. “So we’ve got to recharge the batteries and be as sharp next game, too.”
Scott Laughton scored for the Flyers. Anthony Stolarz stopped two of four shots before he left midway through the first period Due to a lower-body injury. Backup Alex Lyon made 17 saves.
“We just have to wipe the slate clean and do the best we can tomorrow,” Lyon said. “I know it sounds old and cliche but really there is nothing else to do.”
Philadelphia lost for the second time in two nights, finishing a five-game trip in which it earned just three points.
“I don’t know what hockey gods we (angered) but we’re getting some tough bounces and some very untimely situations and it’s tough sledding right now,” Flyers center Jordan Weal said.
Philadelphia has already made changes at the top this season, replacing general manager Ron Hextall with Chuck Fletcher earlier this month. Rumours have swirled that head coach Dave Hakstol could be next.
Vancouver opened the scoring 4:13 into the game, with Tanev slipping a backhand shot past Stolarz. It was the first goal of the year for the veteran defenceman.
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Eriksson followed up less than four minutes later, taking the puck in the slot and hammering it in.
Philadelphia swapped Stolarz for Lyon after Eriksson’s goal, just over eight minutes into the first period. Stolarz was also on duty in Edmonton on Friday night when his team lost 4-1 to the Oilers.
Leivo was next to get the puck into Philadelphia’s net. His shot from the side of the net deflected off the skate of Flyers defenceman Andrew MacDonald and in past Lyon. Boeser was credited with an assist on the goal.
Laughton put the Flyers on the board to close the period, snatching the puck in front of the Canucks’ blue line, blowing past Vancouver defenseman Derrick Pouliot and firing a wrist shot past Markstrom.
The Canucks added another goal midway through the second period. High in Philly’s end, Boeser fired a wrist shot that found a hole between Lyon’s legs.
Vancouver’s Tyler Motte came close to adding one more goal late in the third period when he and Stecher took off on a Flyers power play, but Lyon scooped up the backhanded shot.
Lyon was pulled for an extra skater seconds later, with more than five minutes still remaining in the game.
Granlund scored on the empty net.
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