Vatrano hat trick sparks Ducks past Flyers for 3rd straight win

PHILADELPHIA -- Frank Vatrano scored a hat trick for the Anaheim Ducks, who won their third straight game with a 7-4 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Saturday.

Ryan Strome had a goal and two assists, and Adam Henrique had a goal and an assist for Anaheim (4-4-0), which has won three straight on the road for the first time since April 6-14, 2021. Lukas Dostal made 27 saves. 

"Goal-scoring is a funny thing," said Vatrano, who has eight goals in eight games, including two hat tricks. "Sometimes they'll go in, sometimes they don't. You're going to have ups and downs with goal-scoring. For them to go in early, it's always good and you just roll with that. I've just got to keep taking it one game at a time."

Travis Konecny scored twice for Philadelphia (4-3-1), which had its three-game home winning streak end. Samuel Ersson made 17 saves.

"They jumped on us there right away," Konecny said. "It's upsetting because we had talked about it, and we gave them the momentum right away. I thought we gained it back, and then I turn that one over there at the start of the third on the [penalty kill] and gives it right back to them, and they score two quick ones and we're out of it."

Vatrano gave the Ducks a 2-0 lead at 15:20 of the first period on a power-play goal from the high slot. He then made it 3-0 at 6:58 of the second period when he jammed the puck between Ersson's pads and the goal post.

Vatrano capped his hat trick with a short-handed goal to make it 7-3 at 11:12 of the third period. Ducks coach Greg Cronin said it was the most important goal of the game because it gave the Ducks a four-goal lead after Konecny scored a power-play goal to get the Flyers within 6-3 at 9:51.

"He's a great skater, he's got elite speed," Cronin said of Vatrano. "Then the next thing they say is his shot. The reliability part, the defensive side of it, that was one of the question marks about him, but we've had him really invested on the defensive side of the puck. He kills penalties, he's been responsible defensively.

"It's just like a human thing, there's a value system players have to follow to be reliable in their roles. And I talked to him about: 'Don't worry about the skating and the scoring, that'll come. I want you to really be focused on playing defense away from the puck.'"

Strome put the Ducks ahead 1-0 just 58 seconds into the first period, and after Vatrano scored twice, Anaheim went ahead 4-0 at 9:30 of the second when Henrique scored from the crease.

Cam Atkinson made it 4-1 at 11:49 when he tipped in Owen Tippett's centering pass.

Konecny scored under the crossbar from the right face-off circle in transition to make it 4-2 at 12:35.

However, Trevor Zegras responded for the Ducks with a power-play goal at 2:42 of the third to make it 5-2, a play that started after Konecny gave the puck away trying to exit the zone.

Brett Leason banked a shot off Ersson's back to make it 6-2 at 3:14.

After Vatrano's third goal, Joel Farabee scored at 17:00 of the third for the 7-4 final.

"I thought we had a good start," Flyers coach John Tortorella said. "I thought their goalie made two or three good saves. We give them a free one when we fan on a pass, and they score on the power play and we're chasing. I thought we were coming [and then down], coming [and then down]. We were just really disjointed as far as sustaining our energy."

NOTES: Vatrano became the third player in Ducks history with an even-strength, power-play and short-handed goal in the same game (Corey Perry, Dec. 12, 2010; Paul Kariya, Jan. 10, 1997). He also joined Perry (nine goals, 2014-15) as the only Ducks players to score at least eight goals through the first eight games of a season. … Vatrano is the sixth player with multiple hat tricks in one season for Anaheim, joining Kariya (1996-97, 2000-02), Perry (2010-12, 2014-15), Teemu Selanne (1995-96, 1997-98), Ryan Getzlaf (2013-14) and Bobby Ryan (2010-11). … Strome has seven points (two goals, five assists) during a four-game point streak. ... Anaheim last won three straight games from Feb. 23-27, 2023. .... Konecny is the second player in Flyers history to score at least eight goals in the first eight games of a season, joining Simon Gagne (nine goals, 2005-06).