Wrap: Flyers Make Early Lead Hold in 2-1 Win in Vancouver
In the second half of the team's first of 17 back-to-back sets of the 2021-22 season, the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 2-1, at Rogers Arena on Thursday night. One night earlier the Flyers skated to a 4-2 victory in Edmonton.
Within the first six overall games on the schedule, the Flyers have already concluded their two-game season series with the Canucks this season. Philadelphia collected three of four possible points.
On Thursday, 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.
Patrick Brown made his long-delayed Flyers debut on Thursday, replacing Nicolas Aube-Kubel in the lineup. In his "homecoming" to Vancouver, former Canucks winger Zack MacEwen dropped the gloves for ex-Flyer defenseman Luke Schenn. MacEwen received a tacked-on unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for grabbing the visor on Schenn's helmet during the fight.
Ryan Ellis missed his third straight game with a nagging lower-body injury. He is questionable for Saturday's game in Calgary.
For more on Thursday's game, including analysis, stats and highlights, see the
Postgame 5 on the Flyers' official website.
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Quick Hits: Oct. 29, 2021
1) On the Friday edition of Flyers Daily on the Flyers Broadcast Network, Jason Myrtetus breaks down the play of Martin Jones in Thursday's win in Vancouver. Guest Rasmus Ristolainen joins to talk about the back-to-back set, being in a winning environment and more. Additionally, the program includes van Riemsdyk's postgame comments on his first goal of the 2021-22 season and the team's play. In the final segment, Jason fields some Twitter questions. To listen,
click here.
2) Phantoms Update: Ian Laperriere's struggling Lehigh Valley Phantoms (0-4-1) will look to get into the winning column on Friday night when they pay a road visit to play Kevin Dineen's undefeated Utica Comets (3-0-0, 10-4 goal differential).
Over the first five games of the season, the Phantoms have scored a single goal four times and two goals once. Lehigh Valley has scored only a single goal at 5-on-5 so far, although they do have a shorthanded goal and a pair of late-game 6-on-5 goals to their credit.
The Phantoms power play comes in at a miserable 2-for-27 (7.4 percent). Max Willman, who started the season with two NHL games with the Flyers, and Gerry Mayhew are the only Phantoms who have scored more than one goal on the season. No one has more than two points overall. Morgan Frost and Cam York share the modest assist lead on the team with two apiece.
3) The 2021 Flyers Alumni Hall of Fame Game on Nov. 15, is basically one big family reunion against the backdrop of the impending Flyers Hall of Fame inductions of Rick Tocchet and Paul Holmgren. For mini-bios and more information on all previously announced participants -- players, coaches (Holmgren and Mike Keenan), and off-ice participants (Flyers Hall of Famers Bill Barber, Bob Clarke, Gary Dornhoefer, Dave Schultz and Jim Watson, plus fellow Alumni Bill Clement, Bob Kelly, Ian Laperriere, Jason Smith and Rich Sutter) -- see
A Flyers Family Reunion on the team's official website.
4) There is one addition to the Hall of Fame Game roster to announce: late 1990s to early 2000s defenseman Dan McGillis will also come to town to play in the game. There may be a few more additions to follow, per Flyers Alumni Association president Brad Marsh.
5) Today in Flyers History: On October 29, 1981, Flyers captain Mel Bridgman compiled the first and only hat trick of his Flyers' career in a 6-4 win at the Spectrum against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The game featured a line brawl at 11:17 of the first period immediately after Bridgman scored his first goal of the game. He later added one tally apiece in the second and third periods. Ken Linseman collected four assists in the game, while goaltender Rick St. Croix (17 saves on 21 shots) stopped enough pucks to earn the win in goal.
Bridgman's six-plus season stay with the Flyers would soon come to an end. On November 11, 1981, the Flyers captain was traded to Calgary in exchange for the Flames' captain, defenseman Brad Marsh.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger •NHL.com • 
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