POSTGAME 5: Flyers Nip Canucks, 2-1

In the second half of the team's first back-to-back set of the 2021-22 season, the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 2-1, at Rogers Arena on Thursday night. The Flyers have already concluded their two-game season series with the Canucks this season, collecting three of four possible points.

The Flyers dominated the first period but took only a one-goal lead to intermission. Sean Couturier (3rd goal of the season) and James van Riemsdyk (power play, 1st) sandwiched goals around a Quinn Hughes (2nd) tally. The Canucks controlled the second period but neither team was able to score. The third period was more evenly played and the Flyers protected their narrow lead the rest of the way.
Martin Jones, a Vancouver native, was outstanding in goal for the Flyers in stopping 27 of 28 shots. He was tested often in the second period in particular and on a few bang-bang chances in the third. Jaroslav Halak took a hard-luck loss in stopping 26 of 28 Flyers shots.
The game marked the Flyers debut for Patrick Brown. Nicolas Aube-Kubel was scratched.
The Flyers went 1-for-5 on the power play and a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill. The latter was a combination of clutch saves by Jones on some kills and strong work by the skaters in front of him.
TURNING POINT
The second period easily could have gone sideways on the Flyers; just as the opener did after a dominant opening period by the Flyers. The difference this time around was that Vancouver was unable to score. Jones came with 16 saves to nurse the one-goal lead to the third period.
MELTZER'S TAKE
1) The first period was a dominant one for Philadelphia. Shots were 15-4 in the Flyers; favor. The Flyers enjoyed a 11-5 scoring chance differential and posted a 68.97 all-situations team Corsi. It easily could have been 4-1 at intermission but ended up as a 2-1 edge in the cash register.
2) Just 21 seconds into the game, the Flyers opened the scoring on a 2-on-1 rush. Claude Giroux sprung Travis Konecny and Couturier with numbers. A cross-ice pass from Konecny to Couturier set up a look from the right circle and Couturier scored high to the blocker side on Halak.

At 2:15, the Canucks drew even. A D-to-D pass from former Flyers blueliner Luke Schenn to Quinn Hughes begat a shot through traffic. The puck went off the post, off Jones' skate and into the net. The secondary assist went to Matthew Highmore.
Joel Farabee drew an interference penalty on Hughes at 6:48, although the call could have gone against either player. The Flyers made quick, efficient work of the man advantage and scored one of the prettiest power play goals you'll ever see: a true tic-tac-toe sequence. Giroux deliberately banked a pass to Couturier. In a flash, Couturier fed JVR on the tape for a tap-in power play goal. Shortly before JVR finally bagged his first of the season, he and Oskar Lindblom came within inches of connecting on a goal.

3) Things went fine for the Flyers over the first six minutes of the second period but Vancouver dominated most of the remainder of the period, with Philadelphia struggling to exit their defensive zone cleanly or cope with a heavy, physical forecheck from the Canucks. The Canucks did not score on two power play opportunities -- largely because Jones stepped up as Philly's best penalty killer -- but did gain momentum from them.
Zack MacEwen was called for an extra unsportsmanlike conduct minor for grabbing Schenn's helmet during a fight at 6:13. Later, Ristolainen was called for cross-checking. Late in the period, Scott Laughton drew a neutral zone interference penalty on Bo Horvat. The Flyers did not score but at least spent time again in the Vancouver end and generated good puck movement after being forced to defend for much of the frame.

4) Second period shots on goal were 16-5 in Vancouver's favor. In terms of shot attempts, Vancouver had all-situation 58.33 Corsi and 67.87% Fenwick in terms of the unblocked shot attempt differential. Vancouver doubled up the Flyers in overall scoring chances (14-7) and had a 7-1 edge in terms of high-danger chances. It's hardly going out on a limb to say that Jones was the best player on the ice for Philadelphia in this period.
5) The Flyers were unable to get much going on an early third period power play.Vancouver got more pressure on its own early power play (a marginal holding call against Oskar Lindblom) but Philly shut down the latter part of the Canucks' 5-on-4. With the play back to full strength, Ivan Provorov came up with a key shot block to erase a dangerous chance and then recovered the puck.
At 9:34, van Riemsdyk got his feet tangled with Oliver Ekman-Larsson and was called on a tripping penalty. However, it was a short-lived power play for the Canucks as Elias Pettersson took a holding penalty after Couturier controlled the puck in the neutral zone. Vancouver controlled the ensuing 4-on-4 but they were denied by Jones. With the Flyers on a brief power play, Halak made a tough save on Konecny.
Joel Farabee was not quite able to finish off a 2-on-1 chance with a little over three minutes left. The Canucks got a 6-on-4 power play (with Halak pulled for an extra attacker) with 1:20 left on the clock when Provorov was called for tripping. Philly did a good job at preventing the Canucks from getting set up. Jones took care of what got to him and then Travis Sanheim came up with a vital puck clear down the ice.
Third period shots were 8-8. The respective team Corsi splits were an even 50-50. Vancouver had a slight (5-4) scoring chance edge and a 3-1 high-danger chance advantage. Overall, the final frame was rather evenly played.