Saturday, December 15, 2018 10:00 PM (ET)

Boeser, Canucks cruise past Flyers

Field Level Media
Dec 16, 2018

Brock Boeser scored a goal and added an assist as the hometown Vancouver Canucks downed the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 on Saturday night.

The Canucks scored two goals in the first 8:09 of the game and posted their fourth win in five games. The Flyers suffered their fourth straight loss.

Chris Tanev, Loui Eriksson, Josh Leivo and Markus Granlund also scored for the Canucks, who led 3-1 after the first and 4-1 after the second period. Troy Stecher furnished two assists for the victors.

Scott Laughton scored for the Flyers.

Canucks goaltender Jacob Markstrom posted 31 saves on 32 shots.

Flyers starting goalie Anthony Stolarz left the game with an undisclosed lower-body injury after allowing two goals on Vancouver's first four shots. Alex Lyon replaced Stolarz and stopped 17 of 19 shots. University of British Columbia Thunderbirds goaltender Rylan Toth dressed as an emergency backup for the Flyers but remained in the dressing room.

Tanev opened the scoring 4:13 into the game as he skated in from the blue line and beat Stolarz with a backhand. The goal was Tanev's first in more than a year. His last marker came Oct. 12, 2017, against Winnipeg.

Eriksson put the Canucks ahead 2-0 at 8:09 as he picked up a loose puck in the slot and fired it in through traffic. Leivo gave the Canucks a 3-0 lead at 11:12 of the first as his pass from near the end line went off a Flyers defender and past Lyon. The goal was Leivo's third in six games with the Canucks following his trade from Toronto.

Laughton put the Flyers on the scoreboard at 16:29 of the first period as he was allowed to rush the puck in from the red line. He intercepted a pass a center ice, rushed past defenders and beat Markstrom with a forehand shot.

Boeser sent the Canucks ahead 4-1 at 12:07 of the second period as he one-timed a pass from Stecher following a faceoff won by rookie center Elias Pettersson.

Flyers coach Dave Hakstol decided to pull Lyon in favor of an extra attacker in the final 5:30 and with his team on a power play, but the move backfired. Moments after his holding penalty expired, Canucks center Jay Beagle came out of the box and set up Granlund for an empty-netter.

Stolarz's injury adds to Philly's goaltending woes. No. 1 netminder Brian Elliott returned to Philly, apparently due to the recurrence of a hip injury, after he was slated to return to action on the team's road trip. Veteran Michal Neuvirth also went home early -- to be with his wife as she prepared to give birth.

Stolarz and Lyon began the season in the minors.

--Field Level Media

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