Gostisbehere has 3 assists, Flyers beat Canucks 3-2
Gostisbehere has 3 assists, Flyers beat Canucks 3-2:- Shayne Gostisbehere had three assists for the first three-point game of his NHL career, and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Sunday night.
Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek and Brayden Schenn scored for Philadelphia, and Michael Neuvirth stopped 18 shots in the win.
Markus Granlund and Jannik Hansen scored for Vancouver, which got 25 saves from Ryan Miller.
The Flyers lost the first two games of their three-game swing through Western Canada but picked up a much-needed victory in Vancouver to move within two points of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
The Canucks, meanwhile, couldn't build on Saturday's 2-1 overtime win against Calgary following a 2-4-0 road trip and head into their five-day break four points back of the Flames for the second wild card in the West.
Trailing 3-2 through 40 minutes, Vancouver and its 28th-ranked power play got a chance early in the third period, but failed to register a shot. The Canucks are 0 for 12 over their last four games with the man advantage after the unit tallied goals in five straight.
Daniel Sedin had a good one-time chance midway through the period with Neuvirth swimming in his crease, but the Philadelphia goalie recovered in time to make the save.
Miller made a couple of nice stops to keep his team within striking distance, but Vancouver didn't really threaten Neuvirth from there as Philadelphia held on for its second win in six games (2-4-0).
Up 1-0 after the first period, the Flyers caught Vancouver napping early in the second when Gostisbehere fired a puck from behind the Philadelphia net off the boards to create a 2-on-1. Miller stopped Sean Couturier's initial shot, but Voracek was there to jump on the juicy rebound for his 15th goal of the season and first in 10 games.
Having already allowed a power-play goal in the first, the Canucks gave up another 1:27 later when Schenn wheeled into the high slot and ripped a shot past a screened Miller, who made 35 saves against the Flames on Saturday night.
Schenn's 18th goal of the season was also his league-leading 14th with the man advantage.
Granlund got Vancouver on the board at 3:43 on a slick deflection for his 15th.
Neuvirth made a nice stop on Brandon Sutter midway through the period, but Hansen got Vancouver within one at 12:42 after Bo Horvat cut hard to the net. The puck popped out front to Hansen, who chipped a fluttering shot past Neuvirth's glove for his sixth.
The Canucks nearly tied it seconds later when Reid Boucher jumped on a terrible turnover by Michael Del Zotto in the Flyers end, but Neuvirth was there to make a point-blank glove save.
Nick Cousins almost put Philadelphia back up by two in the final minute of the period, but his shot that beat Miller hit the post and stayed out.
The Canucks killed off an early Flyers power play, but Alexandre Burrows was whistled for hooking moments later and Philadelphia made Vancouver pay when Simmonds banged a rebound of Gostisbehere's shot through Miller's legs for his 25th of the season and fourth in five games.
NOTES: Horvat has four goals and four assists over his last eight games. … Neuvirth allowed six goals Thursday in a loss to Edmonton.
Source:- http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2017/02/20/gostisbehere-has-3-assists-flyers-beat-canucks-3-2/98145834/
