Canucks 5, Flyers 2: Losing streak hits five

Brock Boeser was once a recruit of Flyers coach Dave Hakstol at North Dakota, but it was the rookie’s two goals that helped sink Hakstol’s Flyers in a 5-2 loss to the Canucks on Tuesday night.

The Flyers jumped out to a 1-0 lead, but saw the Canucks score four unanswered goals as the they dropped their fifth straight overall. It was again a night on which the Flyers generated plenty of shots (38) but lacked the quality of chances of their opponent that made the difference in the end.

Brian Elliott made all 13 saves in relief of the ineffective Michal Neuvirth, who was pulled after allowing four goals on 22 shots. In the other crease Jacob Markstrom was fantastic in stopping 36 of 38 shots to earn his sixth win of the season for Vancouver.

First period

Shayne Gostisbehere had the Flyers’ best early chance at the six-minute mark, but his blast drew the iron behind Markstrom. It was a strong zone entry from Sean Couturier and pass to find the defenseman joining the rush and was oh-so-close to resulting in the games first goal.

Not long after, Ivan Provorov would find the back of the net exactly eight minutes into the game to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead. His fourth of the season was assisted by Travis Konecny and Valtteri Filppula.

The lead would be short lived, however, as Daniel Sedin would capitalize on a breakaway to tie things at 1-1 up just 1:42 later at the 9:42 mark. His bother Henrik Sedin and Jake Virtanen picked up helpers on Daniel’s fourth of the season.

Brock Boeser wasted no time giving the Canucks a 2-1 lead 19 seconds later with his eight goal of the season, taking advantage as the Flyers defense was going for a line change. It was a turnover by Jordan Weal at center that handcuffed the changing defensemen, and the rookie was able to make the Flyers pay.

The Flyers had a chance to respond with the games first power play in the last 3:39 of the period, but were unable to pierce Markstrom despite a couple prime chances generated from the first unit.

In all it was a decent first period for the Flyers save for the score as they drove play with a 60% Corsi For at five-on-five and led in shots 16-9 overall.

Second period

Travis Sanheim’s early penalty to start the second would prove costly as Boeser would give the Canucks a 3-1 lead on the ensuing power play. The goal came at the 1:56 mark and was assisted by both Sedin brothers, as most Canucks power play goals are.

Shayne Gostisbehere saw yet another close call as he weaved through the Canucks defense at the 5:30 mark but was unable to lift his backhanded attempt past Markstrom.

A bad offensive zone penalty to Vancouver’s Sven Baertschi gave the Flyers a gift power play at the 7:37 mark of the second to try and carve into the Canucks’ two-goal lead. Instead the Canucks would get the first two shots of the power play, drawing a smattering of boos from the restless crowd.

The best chance the Flyers would garner would come after the man-advantage, when a loose puck off the back boards found Wayne Simmonds’ stick with Markstrom scrambling to make a save on a broken play.

Back on the power play the Canucks would take a stranglehold on the game with a Sven Baertschi goal to make it 4-1 with 5:20 left in the second. Loui Eriksson and Thomas Vanek picked up assists on the goal that would chase Michal Neuvirth from the Flyers crease.

Third period

In for Neuvirth, Brian Elliott would be tested early in the third on a two-on-one, but was able to shut down the chance from Bo Horvat to keep the Flyers within three. Elliott was busy early as he fielded six Canucks shots in the the first seven minutes of the period while the Flyers failed to generate a lone shot of their own in that time frame.

Jake Voracek would stop the bleeding for the Flyers with his sixth goal of the season to cut the Canucks’ lead to 4-2 with 10:04 left in the third. Travis Sanheim, who started the rush before Voracek’s slap shot hit the back of the net, and Claude Giroux picked up the assists.

The goal gave the previously lifeless Flyers a jolt of energy as Jordan Weal and Wayne Simmonds came back with a great shift immediately following the goal and the Couturier line followed as the team showed the desperation they should have when down 4-1.

Though the Flyers would carry play in the Canucks’ zone for the bulk of the final 10 minutes, they would fail to draw any closer than 4-2 as Markstrom held down the fort in net despite the immense pressure.

Loui Eriksson would add an empty netter to push the final to 5-2 as the veteran notched his first goal of the season.