Kirill Kaprizov scored twice to help the Minnesota Wild beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 on Saturday afternoon in Saint Paul, Minn.
Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi also scored for Minnesota, which bounced back from a 7-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers in their previous game. The Wild have not lost two games in a row in regulation this season.
Travis Sanheim scored the only goal for the Flyers, who lost for the first time in their last three games.
Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 20 saves on 21 shots. The 40-year-old improved to 6-1-1 on the season and earned his 567th career win, which keeps him second on the all-time list behind Martin Brodeur (691).
Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson stopped 19 of 22 shots.
Minnesota took the lead with 5:42 left in the first period on a great goal by Kaprizov. Standing to the right of the crease, Kaprizov fired a wrist shot over Ersson’s left shoulder for the goal.
Kirill Kaprizov and Ben Jones in the 1st period
Boldy made it 2-0 with 4:39 remaining in the second period. He scored on a breakaway, putting the puck in with a forehand shot for his 13th goal of the season.
The Wild went up 3-0 with 10:26 left in the third period. On a two-on-one rush, Mats Zuccarello passed the puck to Rossi, who scored with a wrist shot from the left circle for his 11th goal.
The Flyers got on the board with 5:42 to go in the third period. Sanheim scored on a one-timer for his sixth goal of the season and his first since Nov. 16.
Kaprizov finished the game with an empty-net goal at 2:11. It was his second goal of the game and his 20th of the season, marking the fifth straight year he has scored at least 20 goals.
Neither team scored on the power play. The Flyers were 0-for-3 on the man advantage, and the Wild went 0-for-1.
Kirill Kaprizov doesn’t need a lot of space to score, but he’s not afraid to take advantage of a little help from the opposing goalie.
In the first period of the Wild’s 4-1 win on Saturday, the Minnesota forward scored after his shot from a sharp angle bounced off Philadelphia Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson’s helmet and went into the net.
“He’s a skilled player,” Ersson said. “I don’t think it’s luck for him.”
A little over 15 minutes into a scoreless first period, Wild defenseman Jon Merrill took a shot that hit the boards behind Ersson. The puck bounced out to Kaprizov, who was about a foot away from the goal line and 10 feet to the left of the net.
Ersson slid to his left to cover the post. But Kaprizov took a high shot from a tough angle, and it hit the side of Ersson’s head before going into the net.
Minnesota Wild players celebrate after a goal
Wild coach John Hines said Kaprizov practices shots like this for up to 30 minutes every day after practice or before games, and it paid off again.
“It isn’t the first time he’s done it in a game either,” said Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who faces Kaprizov every day in practice. “So I’m not surprised. He’s fun to watch.”
Kaprizov scored an empty-net goal with 2:10 left, his 20th of the season, moving him into second place in the NHL, just one behind Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl.
Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton is known for working hard and letting other players take the spotlight.
However, this week has been different for Laughton. As a 12-year veteran who has played his entire career with the Flyers, he recently had a career-high, scoring four goals in one game, which earned him a standing ovation from his teammates in the locker room.
Laughton will look to keep up his strong play when the Flyers take on the Minnesota Wild on Saturday afternoon in Saint Paul, Minn.
“Scotty’s one of those guys that it doesn’t matter where he is in the lineup or what his job is, he’s always a good spirit at the rink,” said Flyers teammate Travis Konecny. “He never complains about anything. He just goes and puts his head down and does what he has to do. I think when he’s called upon for offense, he has got a lot of skill.”
The Flyers as a team are also doing well recently.
Philadelphia comes into the game with back-to-back wins. They have earned at least one point in 13 of their last 17 games, with a record of 10-4-3.
Laughton scored all four goals, including a short-handed goal and two empty-netters, in their 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.
“Great play by (Konecny) finding me backdoor,” Laughton said about his penalty kill goal. “… We haven’t really been that great on it the last couple of weeks so it’s nice to pot one there and get the ball rolling in the right direction.”
Konecny is the Flyers’ top scorer with 36 points (15 goals, 21 assists) in 30 games. Matvei Michkov has 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 28 games.
Minnesota Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov in the 1st half
Like the Flyers, the Wild have had a strong start to the season, but they are coming off a tough 7-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. They have lost two of their last three games after a five-game winning streak.
Kirill Kaprizov leads the Wild with 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 28 games. Matt Boldy is second with 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 29 games.
Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson may get a chance to bounce back from a rough performance in their last game. Marc-Andre Fleury replaced Gustavsson after the Wild gave up five goals in two periods, but Fleury didn’t do much better, allowing two more goals on nine shots in the third period.
“I think we’ve had a lot of good things that have gone on for us this year,” said Wild coach John Hynes. “(Thursday) was an uncharacteristic night for us. I’m not going to overthink it. … We have to get ready for Saturday.”
Gustavsson is 14-5-3 this season with a 2.24 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. Fleury is 5-1-1 with a 2.71 GAA and a .905 save percentage.
The Flyers are carrying three goaltenders on their roster. Samuel Ersson is the top option and could start against the Wild. He has a 6-3-2 record this season with a 2.85 GAA and an .893 save percentage.
Aleksei Kolosov (4-5-1, 3.05 GAA, .889 save percentage) is second on the Flyers’ goaltender depth chart, while Ivan Fedotov (4-4-1, 3.48 GAA, .877 save percentage) is third.
Kolosov has impressed his teammates in his first NHL season. He stopped 25 of 26 shots in the Flyers’ most recent victory.
“You can tell he’s a gamer, he battles hard, he fights for a lot of pucks,” said Flyers forward Sean Couturier. “He’s really athletic and never quits on pucks.”
Scott Laughton Leads Flyers to 4-1 Victory Over Red Wings with Historic Four-Goal Performance
The Flyers’ struggles at home this season have been well-documented, but Scott Laughton delivered a memorable performance to help turn the tide. With a disappointing 6-8-1 record at the Wells Fargo Center heading into the game, Laughton emphasized simplicity as the key to improvement. True to his word, Laughton scored all four goals in a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, achieving the Flyers’ first four-goal game since 2002. The win ended a two-game home losing streak and extended their overall winning streak to two games.
Key contributions came from Aleksei Kolosov, the Flyers’ newly designated No. 2 goalie, who made a critical glove save in the third period to protect a narrow 2-1 lead. Kolosov also stood tall during key moments earlier in the game, stifling Detroit’s offensive pushes in the second period. His performance provided the stability the Flyers needed, allowing Laughton and the offense to capitalize on their chances.
Scott Laughton Leads Flyers to 4-1 Victory Over Red Wings with Historic Four-Goal Performance
The second period was a turning point, with both teams generating scoring opportunities. Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula, returning after being a healthy scratch, set up a powerful one-timer for Matvei Michkov, but Detroit’s goalie Cam Talbot made the stop. Despite 17 shots on goal, the Flyers managed only one score in the period, with Laughton finding the net after a defensive turnover by Detroit. His decisive slapshot showcased the focus and determination the Flyers have been seeking at home.
Laughton’s dominance continued in the third period, starting with a penalty-kill goal that extended the Flyers’ lead. He capitalized on a two-on-one rush, converting a pass from Travis Konecny. Later, he added two empty-net goals, notching his first hat trick in nearly three years and marking his 100th NHL career goal. Meanwhile, Detroit managed only a late consolation goal from Ben Chiarot.
The game also highlighted the Flyers’ commitment to resilience and teamwork under coach John Tortorella. Matvei Michkov’s creative attempts, Cam York’s defensive plays, and notable milestones such as Owen Tippett’s 300th NHL game contributed to the team’s growing confidence. With this standout performance by Laughton and the collective effort, the Flyers hope to build momentum and continue improving their home record.
Scott Laughton matched a franchise record with a career-high four goals, leading the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.
Aleksei Kolosov (25 saves) was just 3:53 away from earning his first career shutout as Philadelphia won its second straight game after a three-game losing streak. Ben Chiarot was the only Red Wings player to score against Kolosov, but it wasn’t enough to stop Detroit from losing their sixth game in seven outings (1-4-2).
Laughton scored his fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh goals of the season. He now has 13 career goals in 20 games against Detroit (0.65 goals per game) and 89 goals in 611 games (0.15 goals per game) against all other teams.
Laughton is the first Flyer to score four goals in a game since John LeClair did it on October 15, 2002.
Sharks 4, Blues 3
Rookie Macklin Celebrini scored two goals and added an assist to lead San Jose to a win over St. Louis.
Jake Walman had a goal and an assist, Tyler Toffoli also scored, and Nikolai Kovalenko collected three assists as the Sharks ended a three-game losing streak. Alexandar Georgiev made 17 saves to earn the win in his Sharks debut after being traded from the Colorado Avalanche. He and Kovalenko were acquired in exchange for Mackenzie Blackwood and Givani Smith on Monday.
Jake Neighbours had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who suffered just their second regulation loss in eight games (5-2-1) since Jim Montgomery took over as head coach. Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou also scored, and Jordan Binnington made 27 saves.
San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues
Golden Knights 3, Jets 2 (OT)
Ivan Barbashev scored at 3:47 of overtime, helping Vegas continue its success against Winnipeg.
Victor Olofsson and Keegan Kolesar also scored, and Shea Theodore added two assists for Vegas, which extended its regular-season win streak against the Jets to eight games. Adin Hill made 18 saves for the Golden Knights, improving to 6-0-0 all-time against Winnipeg.
Josh Morrissey and Nikita Chibrikov scored for Winnipeg, while Connor Hellebuyck made 33 saves.
Canucks 4, Panthers 0
Kevin Lankinen recorded a 27-save shutout, and J.T. Miller had two assists in his return to the ice as Vancouver defeated Florida.
Carson Soucy, Danton Heinen, Brock Boeser, and Jake DeBrusk scored for Vancouver, who earned their fifth win in 15 home games this season (5-6-4). Lankinen secured his 14th win and third shutout of the season in 21 starts. Teddy Blueger, Quinn Hughes, and rookie Max Sasson each had two assists.
Miller had missed the previous 10 games due to personal reasons. Defenseman Derek Forbort also returned after missing 17 games with a knee injury.
Islanders 5, Blackhawks 4
Noah Dobson, Bo Horvat, and Maxim Tsyplakov scored in a 2:19 span to help New York hold off a late comeback attempt by Chicago in Elmont, N.Y.
Dennis Cholowski and Simon Holmstrom also scored for the Islanders, who have won three of their last four games. Goalie Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves. Holmstrom and Jean-Gabriel Pageau (three assists) each had three-point games, and Dobson added two points.
Connor Bedard scored in the first period, and TJ Brodie added a third-period goal. Tyler Bertuzzi scored twice in the final 1:10 of the game for Chicago, who have lost six of their last seven. Bedard and Alex Vlasic each had two assists. Arvid Soderblom made 14 saves on 19 shots before being replaced by Drew Commesso, who saved both shots he faced in his NHL debut.
New York Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks
Penguins 9, Canadiens 2
The line of Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Sidney Crosby dominated in Pittsburgh’s win over Montreal.
Rust scored three goals and added an assist for his sixth career hat trick, Rakell had two goals and two assists, and Crosby contributed three assists. Kris Letang, Anthony Beauvillier, Matt Nieto, and Noel Acciari also scored for the Penguins, who tallied six times in the third period. Tristan Jarry made 21 saves.
Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia scored for Montreal. Sam Montembeault allowed six goals on 26 shots before being replaced by Cayden Primeau, who allowed three goals on seven shots.
Capitals 2, Blue Jackets 1 (OT)
Aliaksei Protas scored his second goal of the game at 2:23 of overtime to lead Washington past Columbus for their 10th consecutive road win, extending a franchise record.
Charlie Lindgren made 32 saves, including three in overtime, for the Capitals, who are 12-1-1 in their last 14 games against Columbus. Jacob Chychrun had two assists.
Zach Werenski scored for Columbus, who have lost five of their last six (1-4-1). Jet Greaves made 35 saves in his first NHL game of the season.
Predators 4, Stars 1
Ryan O’Reilly returned from an injury to score twice and add an assist as Nashville ended their eight-game losing streak with a win over Dallas.
Tommy Novak and Zachary L’Heureux also scored, and Justus Annunen made 35 saves for the Predators, who had been on an 0-5-3 skid. O’Reilly had missed the previous three games due to a lower-body injury.
Lian Bichsel scored his first career goal for the Stars, who lost for the third time in four games. Jake Oettinger made 22 saves.
Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars
Lightning 8, Flames 3
Nikita Kucherov had one goal and six points to match his career high, and Andrei Vasilevskiy earned a win in his 500th career game as Tampa Bay defeated Calgary.
Jake Guentzel collected a hat trick in the win. Brayden Point scored one goal and added three assists, Anthony Cirelli had one goal and two assists, Brandon Hagel scored one goal and added an assist, and Conor Geekie scored once. Vasilevskiy made 19 saves.
Jonathan Huberdeau scored one goal and added an assist for the Flames, who are 1-2-1 in their last four games. Nazem Kadri and Connor Zary also scored, and Dan Vladar made 18 saves.
Devils 3, Kings 1
Jack Hughes broke a tie with 7:02 left in the third period, leading New Jersey to a win over Los Angeles.
Hughes also assisted on Ondrej Palat’s second goal in as many games and Brett Pesce’s short-handed goal in the third period. Jacob Markstrom made 12 saves to help the Devils to their 14th win in 21 games (14-6-1).
Jordan Spence scored for Los Angeles, and David Rittich stopped 23 shots. The Kings fell short in their attempt to record their first seven-game winning streak since 2021.
Oilers 7, Wild 1
Leon Draisaitl recorded one goal and three assists to help Edmonton cruise past Minnesota.
Six other players scored for Edmonton, which won their fourth consecutive game. Connor Brown had one goal and an assist, Connor McDavid, Darnell Nurse, Evan Bouchard, and Vasily Podkolzin each had two assists, and Calvin Pickard made 29 saves.
Frederick Gaudreau scored the only goal for Minnesota. Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson allowed five goals on 26 shots and was replaced in the third period by Marc-Andre Fleury, who saved seven of nine shots.
Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild
Maple Leafs 3, Ducks 2
Max Pacioretty had two goals and an assist as Toronto defeated Anaheim for their second straight win.
William Nylander also scored, and John Tavares added two assists for the Maple Leafs. Anthony Stolarz (lower-body injury) played the first period and made seven saves on eight shots. Joseph Woll replaced him in the second period and made 19 saves.
Jackson LaCombe had a goal and an assist for the Ducks, who have lost five in a row (0-4-1). Frank Vatrano also scored, Ryan Strome had two assists, and Lukas Dostal made 30 saves.
Utah 4, Avalanche 1
Dylan Guenther scored twice and had an assist, while Vladislav Kolyachonok and Kevin Stenlund also scored as Utah beat Colorado.
Karel Vejmelka made 23 saves, and Logan Cooley had two assists. Utah extended their winning streak to five straight road games.
Nathan MacKinnon scored for Colorado, and Scott Wedgewood made 19 saves in his first home start for the Avalanche. Wedgewood had been acquired from Nashville on Nov. 30.
Kraken 5, Bruins 1
Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice, and Philipp Grubauer made 33 saves to lead Seattle to a win over Boston.
Jared McCann had a goal and an assist, and Jaden Schwartz and Vince Dunn also scored for the Kraken, who are 4-1-1 in their last six games. Shane Wright was credited with two assists.
Brad Marchand scored on a penalty shot for the Bruins, who have lost the first two games of their five-game Western trip by a combined score of 13-2. Joonas Korpisalo made 16 saves on 20 shots.
Philadelphia Flyers topped the visiting Detroit Red Wings
Scott Laughton scored a career-high four goals, tying a franchise record, as the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 on Thursday.
Aleksei Kolosov made 25 saves and came close to earning his first career shutout, as the Flyers won their second straight game after a three-game losing streak. Ben Chiarot was the only player to score against Kolosov, but the Red Wings still lost their sixth game in the last seven.
Laughton led the offense, scoring his fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh goals of the season. He now has 13 goals in 20 games against Detroit and 89 goals in 611 games against other teams.
He became the first Flyer to score four goals in a game since John LeClair on October 15, 2002.
Laughton’s second goal, the 100th of his career, gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead early in the third period. While shorthanded, Travis Konecny set up Laughton for an easy tap-in past Cam Talbot, who made 32 saves.
Laughton sealed his career night with two empty-net goals. His first came with 1:07 left to complete his second career hat trick, and his fourth goal was scored with just 13 seconds remaining.
Laughton’s first goal was a breakaway slap shot with 6:38 left in the second period, which beat Talbot just under the crossbar.
Scott Laughton reacts after a goal
Philadelphia had several other good chances in the second period. Talbot stopped Joel Farabee on a breakaway and also made important saves on Matvei Michkov and Sean Couturier. Noah Cates hit the post shortly after in a dominant stretch by the Flyers.
Michkov also attempted a “lacrosse goal” from behind the net but missed it by a small margin.
The Red Wings nearly tied the game late in the second period, but Kolosov made key saves on Alex DeBrincat and Marco Kasper to keep the Flyers ahead 1-0.
Kolosov also made a big glove save on Erik Gustafsson with the Flyers holding onto a 2-1 lead late in the game.
Flyers center Scott Laughton was filled with pride when his second goal of the game marked his 100th career goal.
Laughton achieved another big milestone — he scored two empty-net goals to tie Philadelphia’s team record with four goals in a game, leading the Flyers to a 4-1 win over Detroit on Thursday night.
“Kind of get my game going, hopefully,” Laughton said. “It was an awesome night.”
After scoring just once in his previous 25 games, Laughton had his second career hat trick and became the first Flyers player to score four goals in a game since John LeClair in 2002.
Laughton is the 10th Flyers player to score four goals in a game, making it the 17th time a player has scored four goals.
“For Scotty Laughton, you always hope good things happen for him,” said coach John Tortorella. “He works so hard. He’s the reason we won the game.”
Laughton was welcomed with a standing ovation by his teammates in the locker room, who then surrounded him in celebration. They gave him a pro wrestling championship belt with the Flyers logo stamped on it.
Laughton, 30, made his NHL debut with the Flyers in January 2013, and he scored his first two goals the hard way.
Scott Laughton reacts after a goal
He scored the first goal in the second period with a breakaway slap shot from the left circle. His second goal came in the third period when he tipped in a pass from Travis Konecny while crashing into the crease on a short-handed play.
Laughton has been a reliable presence for the Flyers for more than a decade but never scored more than 18 goals in a season. He had only three goals this season for a Flyers team that seems ready to end a long rebuilding phase and compete for their first playoff spot since 2020.
His first career hat trick was on February 7, 2021, against Washington.
“I think 100 goals, you don’t look at it really, but I’ve been in the league for a long time and it’s hard to score goals in this league,” Laughton said. “To score 100, it’s pretty cool to me, pretty special. I know it’s not much compared to some guys, but it feels pretty cool to get that.”
His last two goals were the empty-netters in the final 70 seconds of the game.
“It’s pretty cool,” Laughton said. “Two empty-netters but I know they all count.”
After picking up important wins earlier this week, the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers are both hoping to build on those performances when they play each other Thursday in Pennsylvania.
Detroit ended a five-game losing streak on Monday with a 6-5 win against the Buffalo Sabres. The Red Wings were down 5-3 with under 10 minutes remaining in the game, but they tied it up and won in a shootout.
“It was a massive win for us,” said Dylan Larkin of Detroit, who had two assists in regulation before scoring the game-winning goal in the shootout. “… It was good for our hockey team to score some goals, to be down and come back and win like that.”
Andrew Copp scored two goals for Detroit, while Lucas Raymond scored once in regulation and again in the shootout. Sebastian Cossa was the standout player for Detroit, stepping in for Ville Husso in net after the first period and getting the win in his NHL debut.
The Red Wings have had a tough stretch, with 11 straight games decided by two goals or fewer. During their five-game losing streak, each loss was by just one goal, including two overtime losses.
“We needed one to go our way,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said. “We were a little sloppy tonight, but we produced some offense. Give a lot of credit to the guys (for hanging) in there.”
The Flyers’ situation is similar to the Red Wings’ recent struggles. Philadelphia lost three games in a row before picking up a 5-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Travis Konecny scored two goals, and Owen Tippett scored for the fifth straight game in the Flyers’ win. They will play eight of their next 10 games on the road after Thursday’s game.
“We needed that win,” Konecny said. “We’ve been going in the wrong direction for a few games, so it was good to turn it around.”
Like Detroit, the Flyers have been in a stretch of close games, with nine straight games decided by two goals or fewer. “I felt it was an important game for us to get back to playing with energy,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said.
Both teams also share the fact that they haven’t made the playoffs in several years. Detroit has missed the postseason for the last eight seasons, and it will be tough for them to make it to the playoffs in 2025. On the other hand, Philadelphia has a good chance of ending its four-year playoff drought.
That said, the Flyers are focusing on taking things one game at a time.
“I think it’s still a little early to look at standings and movement and stuff, but, obviously, you know when the big games are, when you play in your conference and division,” Tippett said. “Those are the points that matter coming down to the end.”
This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams, and they will play again next week in Detroit and once more in Philadelphia on January 21.
Travis Konecny scored two goals, and Morgan Frost had a goal and an assist as the Philadelphia Flyers ended a three-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
Owen Tippett scored for the fifth game in a row, Noah Cates also scored, and rookie Matvei Michkov added two assists for the Flyers, who won their first game in four December matchups. Konecny, who scored over 30 goals in each of the last two seasons, increased his team-leading goal total to 15 with his fifth multi-goal game of the season.
Zach Werenski scored his ninth goal of the season, while Sean Monahan and Kent Johnson added late goals for the Blue Jackets, who managed only 18 shots on goal and lost for the fourth time in five games. The loss also ended Columbus’ 4-0-1 home streak.
Philadelphia started the scoring 4:37 into the game. After a scramble in front of the net and a rebound off Tyson Foerster’s shot, Cates got to the puck and was credited with a goal.
Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL)
The Flyers made it 2-0 with 9:04 left in the first period. Frost passed the puck to Jamie Drysdale, who then set up Tippett to score over the right shoulder of Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins (19 saves).
In the second period, Philadelphia added another goal at 6:11. On a power play, Konecny, left wide open, scored from the circle while Emil Andrae screened Merzlikins.
Columbus got on the board with 3:04 left in the second period, scoring on a power play. Werenski’s shot from the point found its way past Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson (15 saves).
However, the Flyers regained their three-goal lead with a minute left in the second period. Joel Farabee set up Konecny for a partial breakaway, and Konecny slid the puck under Merzlikins’ left pad.
Philadelphia made it 5-1 just 1:55 into the third period. Frost was in the right place at the right time to beat Merzlikins and finish his two-point night.
After breaking their recent losing streak on the road, the Columbus Blue Jackets are heading back home, where they’ve been performing well this season. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers are still searching for their first win in December.
The Blue Jackets, who are on a five-game home point streak, will look to hand the Flyers their fourth straight loss on Tuesday night.
Columbus began its recent five-game road trip with a 6-3 win over struggling Chicago, but then lost the next three games despite scoring five goals in each of those matches. However, the Blue Jackets ended the trip on a positive note, securing their fourth road win with a 4-1 victory against Winnipeg on Sunday.
Kent Johnson scored two goals in the third period, and Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves. Columbus had given up 11 goals in their previous two games.
“I think it shows a lot of character,” said Columbus defenseman Ivan Provorov after the win. “Play the game the right way on the last game of the road trip, it shows a lot about this team … I think we’re trending in the right direction.”
At home, things have been going well for the Blue Jackets. They are 8-3-1 at home and are currently on a 4-0-1 stretch. Heading into Monday’s games, Columbus ranked second in the NHL, averaging 4.25 goals per game at home.
Defenseman Zach Werenski, who had an assist on Sunday, leads the team with 28 points and has five goals and eight assists in a six-game home point streak. Johnson has three goals and five assists, earning a point in each of the six home games he’s played this season.
Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Merzlikins has a 3.22 goals-against average and .891 save percentage at home, with a 6-2-1 record. Backup goalie Daniil Tarasov is 2-1-0 with a 3.05 goals-against average at home, compared to 1-4-1 with a 4.86 goals-against average on the road.
Philadelphia, after winning three straight games to close out November, is now on a 0-2-1 slide, giving up 15 goals during this stretch, including a 4-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday. Flyers forward Joel Farabee, who broke a 12-game goal drought in the loss, said, “We just didn’t have that edge to us (Sunday).”
The Flyers also gave up a power-play goal for the fourth game in a row on Sunday, with their opponents converting 7 of 17 power plays during this stretch.
“I thought our back end looked tired (versus Utah),” Flyers coach John Tortorella said. “(We) have killed a lot of penalties. If there’s the wear and tear from killing penalties the way we have, it’s the back end.”
Columbus has scored on 5 of 17 power plays in their last six home games.
Philadelphia goalie Samuel Ersson, who returned from an 11-game injury absence, made 21 saves in Sunday’s loss. It’s unclear if he will start again on Tuesday.
Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov, who turned 20 on Monday, is on a four-game point streak with three goals and five assists. He’s scored seven of his 11 goals this season on the road.
Philadelphia’s six-game point streak against the Blue Jackets ended with a 6-2 loss in Columbus on April 6, in their most recent meeting. Werenski scored two goals and added an assist in that game.
Logan Cooley scored the go-ahead goal during a hectic second period as the Utah Hockey Club won 4-2 against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday.
Michael Carcone, Juuso Valimaki, and Kevin Stenlund also scored for Utah, which has now won two consecutive games for the first time since starting the season 3-0. Jaxson Stauber made 21 saves to help secure the win.
Joel Farabee and Owen Tippett scored for the Flyers, who lost their third game in a row. Philadelphia goalie Samuel Ersson, who had been out for almost a month due to a lower-body injury, returned to the net and made 21 saves.
The teams combined for five goals in just 8:29 during the second period.
Carcone scored first when his shot was saved by Ersson, but the puck then bounced off the skate of Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and went into the net.
Farabee quickly responded just 19 seconds later, knocking in a loose puck after Nick Seeler’s shot got past Stauber. This was Farabee’s first goal since Nov. 9.
Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
Less than two and a half minutes later, Valimaki tipped Mikhail Sergachev’s shot past Ersson for his first goal of the season.
Tippett answered for the Flyers with a wrist shot from the top of the left circle that went in through traffic for his eighth goal of the season.
However, the Flyers’ momentum didn’t last long. The visitors tied the game with a power-play goal less than two minutes later. Dylan Guenther made a perfect pass to Cooley in front of the net, and Cooley quickly switched to his backhand to beat Ersson for his seventh goal of the season.
Philadelphia thought they had tied the game 3-3 early in the third period, but Utah challenged the play, and the goal was ruled no good due to goalie interference.
Despite the reversal, the Flyers got a late power play with a chance to tie the game. However, Morgan Frost lost control of the puck during an offensive rush, and Stenlund scored on a breakaway to seal the victory for Utah.
The Utah Hockey Club and the Philadelphia Flyers started the weekend with different kinds of momentum.
Utah is hoping to carry the energy from a strong win into Sunday’s game against Philadelphia, which is looking to recover from a tough loss.
The Utah Hockey Club just won 5-2 on the road against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, scoring five unanswered goals after Buffalo opened the scoring.
“It feels like an important win,” said Utah coach Andre Tourigny, who got his 100th NHL win in his 272nd game. “I think it was good, important for us to start that trip the right way. We had a good break. We had five days off, so it’s always tough to get going after that. I like the way the guys played, especially the first two periods. … I like the way we played offensively and defensively.”
Defenseman Michael Kesselring, who had a goal and an assist, and forward Nick Schmaltz, who scored a goal and led the team with five shots, both had strong performances.
“It’s good for the confidence,” Kesselring said. “I felt like we’ve played well the last five or six games now, so (it’s important to keep) the momentum going.”
The Flyers are dealing with the opposite feeling after giving up a 3-1 lead in the third period and losing 4-3 in overtime to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
It was the second straight game where the Flyers let a late-game lead slip away, as they had led the Florida Panthers 5-4 in their last game before losing 7-5.
Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers
“We’ve got to learn from our mistakes,” Philadelphia captain Sean Couturier said. “This is two games where we take stupid penalties, give the other team a chance to come back, and we did it again today.”
Despite the recent struggles, Flyers coach John Tortorella remains confident in his team, which had gone 4-0-1 before the two-game losing streak.
“It’s never a question with me about our fight,” Tortorella said. “That’s a given within our room here. So, that’s what keeps us afloat. That’s the only way we’re going to stay afloat in this league is that — it’s the will and not willing to give in.”
The Flyers have four of their next seven games at home before a tough six-game road trip.
“We’re a good team and we expect to win every game,” Philadelphia defenseman Cam York said. “So, to lose that one, obviously it hurts. But we’ve got an opportunity to come back (Sunday) and, hopefully, come out on top.”
The Flyers will certainly be keeping an eye on Utah’s Dylan Guenther, who leads the team with 10 goals, and Clayton Keller, who has the most points with 23. Guenther is on a four-game goalless streak, and Keller has been quieter lately, with one goal and three assists in his last six games.
“It’s huge. Obviously, we want to get away with four points here,” said Kevin Stenlund, one of Utah’s goal scorers against Buffalo, about the team’s two-game road trip. “Big game (Sunday). Focus on that and move on.”
