Cates has goal, assist, Flyers defeat Canucks

VANCOUVER -- Noah Cates, Bobby Brink and Travis Konecny each had a goal and an assist for the Philadelphia Flyers in a 6-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.

Carl Grundstrom scored for the fourth straight game, Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras each had two assists, and Dan Vladar made 32 saves for the Flyers (20-11-7), who have won three of four.

“They had a good start, but second, third period I felt we were all over them,” Cates said. “Not a great start for us, and they seemed to be all over it, so I'm glad we could weather it and then get back to our game and take it to them, do what we do.”

David Kampf and Drew O'Connor each had a goal and an assist, and Thatcher Demko made 27 saves for the Canucks (16-20-3), who were coming off a 3-2 shootout win at the Seattle Kraken on Monday but have lost three of their past four games.

Two of those three losses have come against the Flyers and former coach Rick Tocchet, who was back in Vancouver for the first time since leaving the team in late April. Tocchet, who was hired by the Flyers on May 14, was welcomed back with a mix of boos and cheers when shown on the video board midway through the first period.

“We started very good. I think first 10 minutes was great,” Kampf said. “But after that, I don't know, it slipped a little bit away. So, yeah, if I knew the answer I would tell you, but I don't. I guess we have to talk about it and be better.”

Kampf, who was a healthy scratch against Seattle, put the Canucks ahead 1-0 at 3:45 of the first period. He scored from the edge of the crease with a quick shot over Vladar’s glove after O’Connor spun away from Cam York in the corner and passed out from below the goal line.

At the time of the goal, Vancouver was outshooting Philadelphia 8-0.

However, during the TV timeout when Tocchet was being welcomed back, he told his players to start “going through people." The Flyers responded by getting their first shot at 11:21, Konecny followed that up with a big hit on Filip Hronek at 11:47, and Cates scored on the next shot to tie it 1-1 at 12:02.

“Honestly, it was more we were a little flat and the staff was kind of telling us to go through some guys, so I started looking for some hits,” Konecny said.

On the goal, Michkov knocked the puck out of the air off a rush and dropped it to Cates, who snapped a wrist shot short side on Demko from just above the right face-off dot.

“He's such a skilled player, knocks it down, great drop pass, and then just kind of a weird shot on net. But to knock it down so it doesn't just go into the corner, that's the stuff he brings,” said Cates, whose line with Michkov and Brink combined for six points. “We're such different players, but I think that's what makes good lines, and Bobby helps us both tremendously, so it's good we're getting going and talking and having fun and playing the right way as well.”

Grundstrom scored 3:40 into the second period to put the Flyers in front 2-1. Nikita Grebenkin swatted the puck behind Vancouver's defense, and Grundstrom skated into it and carried it to the bottom of the right circle before roofing a shot inside the far post over Demko’s blocker.

“Got a good play by 'Grebi' there, and I saw I had a little space to take it to the net, so I tried to get it far side and it went in,” Grundstrom said.

Konecny made it 3-1 at 16:20, converting his own rebound after Jamie Drysdale spotted him at the side of the net with a slap pass from the point.

“It was all Jamie,” Konecny said. “What people don't really see is how Jamie had his head up while he was trying to shoot and found me. It's an elite play, and all the credit goes to him. I just kind of whacked it at the net and had a good chance and it went in.”

The goal came just 20 seconds after Vladar stopped Marco Rossi alone at the top of the crease.

“He's really solidified himself in the sense that he gives us an effort every night to win the game,” Tocchet said of Vladar, who is 14-6-3 in his first season with the Flyers.

Vancouver pulled to within 3-2 at 1:08 of the third period. Kampf whiffed on a one-timer, but the puck hit off the skate of Rasmus Ristolainen and landed on the stick of O'Connor, who shot into the open net.

“We are all three hardworking guys,” Kampf said of his line with O’Connor and Kiefer Sherwood. “So we just put the pucks in and go for the forecheck, and it worked. I think simple, simple plays always working. So, that was our goal, and I think we did a good job.”

Brink answered back 26 seconds later, tapping in a pass from Michkov on a 2-on-1 to make it 4-2.

Owen Tippett scored short-handed into an empty net at 17:19 to push the lead to 5-2.

Tom Willander cut it to 5-3 on a rebound at 18:16, but Christian Dvorak scored another empty-net goal at 19:23 for the 6-3 final.

“They came out flying and we were on our heels,” Tocchet said. “Didn't really have to say much, players knew it. We weren't skating, and then we started getting our legs and started playing the game the right way, so proud of them.”

NOTES: Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk returned to the lineup after he was a healthy scratch against Seattle on Monday. He was minus-2 with three shots and five hits in 19:03 of ice time.