The Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens could not spend a lot time celebrating after selecting up much-needed wins on Saturday.
The Flyers welcome the Canadiens to South Philadelphia on Sunday night in a matchup of groups trying to full a stellar weekend.
Philadelphia received its season opener in time beyond regulation towards the Vancouver Canucks however then dropped six video games in a row (0-5-1), leaving the workforce and not using a regulation victory via seven video games. That drought got here to an finish Saturday because the Flyers posted a 7-5 win over the Minnesota Wild.
Sean Couturier recorded a hat trick and dished out two assists and Travis Konecny additionally offered a five-point efficiency (one purpose, 4 assists). Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen had a key purpose late within the third interval to assist the Flyers win for the primary time in additional than two weeks.
Nevertheless, it was Couturier who obtained the headlines after notching his first purpose since Feb. 10 and his first hat trick since January 2019.
“I believed I used to be getting some probabilities recently, (however the) puck simply wasn’t moving into,” stated Couturier, who accomplished the hat trick by scoring into the empty web with one minute remaining within the third interval.
“You might have these nights generally the place every little thing appears to go in and the puck finds you. Identical to these rebounds, they simply appeared to type of pop again at me each time. So these are good, and you have to reap the benefits of these.”
Konecny was joyful for his long-time teammate after Couturier set a brand new private greatest for factors in a recreation.
“Coots is a type of guys who places within the effort on daily basis,” Konecny stated. “He tries arduous, he is at all times a professional throughout apply, off the ice, and he is at all times doing the best issues. It was only a matter of time earlier than he had a recreation like this.”
Montreal had a little bit of a candy redemption story on Saturday, as effectively. Kirby Dach, who missed most of final season with a severe knee harm, registered his first purpose since March 23, 2023, in a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues.
“It was good to get it in entrance of the followers,” Dach stated after serving to his workforce snap a four-game dropping streak (0-3-1). “They had been actually supportive all yr final yr and have been early this yr. It has been a protracted street since I scored a purpose. So, it was good to get that one, however even higher to get the 2 factors as a workforce and play an entire recreation.”
Will probably be attention-grabbing to see if Philadelphia coach John Tortorella goes with Samuel Ersson in web for the second straight day. Flyers backup goalie Ivan Fedotov has struggled on the younger season, permitting 14 objectives on 78 pictures. The workforce additionally recalled netminder Emil Andrae from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Saturday.
One participant who actually will not be taking the ice Sunday for the Flyers is rookie ahead Jett Luchanko, who has been returned to his junior workforce, the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League.
“The choice to ship Jett again is one thing we strongly consider is the best path for him and his improvement,” common supervisor Daniel Briere stated.
Montreal went 2-0-1 towards Philadelphia in 2023-24 and has received the season collection between the groups in every of the previous three campaigns.
–Discipline Stage Media
