Flyers score 3 in 2nd, end Canucks point streak at 9

VANCOUVER -- The Philadelphia Flyers scored three goals in a 2:06 span late in the second period and ended the Vancouver Canucks nine-game point streak with a 4-1 win at Rogers Arena on Thursday.

Egor Zamula, Sean Walker and Joel Farabee scored in the second for the Flyers (19-11-4), who have earned at least one point in 11 of their past 12 games (8-1-3).

“We played patient, waited for our opportunities. You get a couple of quick ones, it builds that momentum, and you go from there,” said Farabee, who also had an assist. “Really like how our group played coming off the (holiday) break. It would be easy to play loose and not play our system, but I really felt like every guy was pulling on the rope.”

Samuel Ersson saved 18 of 19 shots before leaving 2:36 into the third period because of dehydration. Carter Hart made eight saves in relief.

“That's the beauty of having two really good goalies,” Farabee said. “You know one guy is going to pick him up, and when both guys are in the cage, we have complete trust in both guys, so I don't think anyone skipped a beat there.”

Coach John Tortorella said Ersson “cramped up” but was getting intravenous treatment after the game and would be fine. Hart is expected to start the second game of a back-to-back at the Seattle Kraken on Friday.

“I thought Carter was outstanding,” Tortorella said. “All the time off we've had, the days off … to come in at that time a game, he probably had five or six shots but they were 10-bellers, they were great chances. Sam was really good, and I thought Carter cleaned it up for us in the third.”

Teddy Blueger scored, and Casey DeSmith made 21 saves for the Canucks (23-10-3), who were 7-0-2 during their point streak and lost in regulation for the first time since Dec. 5.

“We weren’t invested,” Vancouver coach Rick Tocchet said. “They came at us and we didn’t have any push. In the second I thought we came back a little back and then that five-minute implosion. … It’s going to get harder and harder. This is a learning lesson. We’ve got to be more invested in the game.”

Zamula put the Flyers ahead 1-0 at 15:03 of the second period with a low point shot through traffic that caught DeSmith looking around the other side of a screen on a power play.

It was just the second goal in the past 10 games for the Flyers' power play, and it came in Zamula’s second straight game playing the point.

“It's a new look on the power play and I tried to put pucks on the net,” Zamula said. “I think it's a most dangerous shot from up top, so I tried to put puck on the net and I see a couple guys in front, the traffic, and it goes in and this goal I think help all team play better, and we just scored more after that.”

Walker made it 2-0 at 16:24 with a one-timer from inside the right face-off dot after Owen Tippett made a cross-ice backhand pass from his knees. Tippett, who was moved up to the top line for this game, has seven points (four goals, three assists) in his past eight games.

“Nobody was really thinking Tippett was going to be able to make that play over to me,” Walker said. “Unbelievable play to get that puck to me, so I was happy I had the chance to shoot it.”

Farabee made it 3-0 with a deke to his forehand on a breakaway at 17:09 after Bobby Brink pressured defenseman Nikita Zadorov into a turnover as he skated out of his own zone.

“Once he got close to the red line, we realized he didn't really have any options, so Bob obviously made a really good angle play,” Farabee said. “I just picked it up and happened to score, but it's just sticking to what we know and staying above our guys and then pouncing when we can.”

Blueger pulled the Canucks to within 3-1 by converting a one-timer on a 3-on-2 off a pass from Dakota Joshua 25 seconds into the third period. Blueger has nine points (three goals, six assists) during a seven-game point streak.

Vancouver had a chance to close the gap on a power play at 4:51, but Garnet Hathaway was left all alone in the slot and scored short-handed at 5:01 to make it 4-1.

“We were probably a little snoozy, not quite off the Christmas break yet,” Canucks defenseman Ian Cole said. “We need to realize that a team like this that works really hard and makes you challenge every inch of ice out there. We need to realize when games are going to be hard we can’t turn pucks over. … Generally speaking, they made it hard on us and we caved.”

NOTES: Tortorella moved into sole possession of 10th place on the NHL's all-time list with his 723rd win, passing Alain Vigneault. Tortorella’s next game will be his 1,500th, becoming the eighth coach to reach that milestone. … The Flyers were 1-for-23 on the power play in their previous nine games.