Final
Playoff-hopeful Canucks welcome slumping Flyers
Mar 17, 2015 - 2:57 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Vancouver Canucks will try to aid their playoff quest with a fourth win in five games when they host the struggling Philadelphia Flyers in Tuesday's matchup at Rogers Arena.The Canucks are sitting second in the Pacific Division and just one point ahead of Calgary and Los Angeles.
Vancouver had a two-game win streak snapped by the visiting Kings in a 4-0 setback on Thursday, but then won for the third time in four outings with Saturday's 4-1 triumph over Toronto.
Derek Dorsett posted a goal and two assists to power the Canucks past the Maple Leafs and Eddie Lack made 28 saves for the victory. Chris Higgins, Jannik Hansen and Shawn Matthias also scored for Vancouver.
"We had a good start," Vancouver head coach Willie Desjardins said. "It was a tough game all the way through."
Lack is expected to draw a sixth straight start in net tonight. The 27-year- old netminder has done a solid job filling in for injured No. 1 Ryan Miller and is 11-9-3 on the season. Lack's lone career appearance against Philadelphia, a home test on Dec. 30 of last season, resulted in a shootout loss for the Canucks.
Defensemen Kevin Bieksa and Yannick Weber and forwards Richardson and Higgins all returned to the Vancouver lineup on Saturday. Bieksa missed 22 games with a broken finger, Weber was out two games with an upper-body injury, Richardson was absent for 24 games due to a foot injury and Higgins missed three games with an undisclosed injury.
Forward Alex Burrows is questionable for tonight after sitting out Saturday with a lower-body injury.
The Canucks are 2-1-0 on a five-game homestand and 19-13-1 at Rogers Arena this season. They will close this stay in Vancouver Thursday against Columbus.
Philadelphia began a four-game road trip Sunday in Ottawa and lost a 2-1 shootout decision. Bobby Ryan scored the lone goal of the shootout to deliver the victory for the Senators.
The loss in Ottawa was another blow to the Flyers' already dim playoff hopes. The club sits nine points behind Boston for the last wild card spot with only 11 games left on its schedule. Meanwhile, Ottawa was able to move within five points of the Bruins, who fell in regulation Sunday against Washington.
Ray Emery finished with 27 saves for a Flyers team that has dropped six straight on the road (0-3-3). They have lost five of six overall.
"I thought that Ray made some good saves for us when he had to, and I thought that we played pretty smart," said Philadelphia coach Craig Berube.
Jakub Voracek scored the lone goal for the Flyers, but missed his attempt in the shootout. Philly captain Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds also failed to beat Andrew Hammond in the final segment of the game.
The Flyers own a dreadful 9-18-9 record on the road this season, but they have won eight of their last nine road games against the Canucks. Vancouver is 4-1-1 over the last six overall meetings.
- PHILADELPHIA: 1
VANCOUVER: 4
Final
Mar 18 12:41 AM - PHILADELPHIA: 1
VANCOUVER: 4
End of Regulation
Mar 18 12:41 AM - PHILADELPHIA: 1
VANCOUVER: 1
End of 2nd
Mar 17 11:44 PM - PHILADELPHIA: 0
VANCOUVER: 0
End of 1st
Mar 17 10:49 PM - PHILADELPHIA: 0
VANCOUVER: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Mar 17 10:15 PM
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