Flyers Again Let Lead Slip in Loss to Vancouver

Report From Philadelphia Flyers

* Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the two goals from Alexander Burrows in a 17-second span were the fastest pair of goals against the Flyers since November 18, 2010 when Tampa Bay scored two goals in 16 seconds during the first period of an 8-7 Flyers loss at the Wells Fargo Center.

* Also per ESB, the two goals by Burrows were the quickest against the Flyers by the same player since January 21, 1993 when Boston’s Vladimir Ruzicka scored twice in 14 seconds in a 5-4 Flyers loss at the Spectrum.

* The last time the Flyers went winless in a season against the Canucks when playing them more than once in the season was 1991-92 when they were 0-1-1. The last time they lost multiple games to Vancouver in regulation in a season was 1988-89, when they were 0-3-0.

* Nick Cousins made his NHL debut, playing 9:54. He recorded a shot on goal, one hit and went 5-for-6 on faceoffs.

* Zac Rinaldo was credited with eight hits and Ryan White with seven. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare was 9-for-12 (75 pct) on draws, while Claude Giroux was 14-for-25 (59 pct).

* The Flyers return to action Thursday night at Calgary (9PM, CSN, 97.5 FM).

GAME RECAP

VANCOUVER — Alexandre Burrows had an immediate impact in his return to the Vancouver Canucks’ top line.

Burrows missed Vancouver’s previous game with a groin injury, but scored two goals 17 seconds apart in the third period to lead the Canucks to a 4-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Rogers Arena on Tuesday.

Burrows took the place of Zack Kassian, who was injured at the morning skate, on a line with Daniel and Henrik Sedin. He put the Canucks ahead to stay on a wrist shot through goaltender Steve Mason‘s legs off the rush 6:44 into the third period.

It was Burrows’ first goal in 11 games, covering more than a month; he didn’t need long to add another one.

On the next shift, Mason stopped Daniel Sedin on another rush, but the rebound bounced right to Burrows on the far side and he slid his 14th goal of the season into a wide-open net.

Defenseman Alexander Edler scored in the second period to get Vancouver even at 1-1, and Radim Vrbata scored into an empty net with 10 seconds left for the Canucks (40-25-4), who have won four of their past five. Eddie Lack made 27 saves for Vancouver, which moved three points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames for second place in the Pacific Division.

Michael Raffl opened the scoring midway through the second period and Mason made 32 saves for the Flyers (29-28-15), who have one win in their past seven games and nine on the road all season, the fourth-fewest in the NHL.

The game was preceded by a ceremony to honor the late Pat Quinn, who coached the Flyers and was coach, general manager and president of the Canucks.

Philadelphia opened the scoring just after the midway point of the second period.

With top-line right wing Jakub Voracek in the penalty box after a rare but spirited fight with Canucks defenseman Dan Hamhuis, Wayne Simmonds took his spot alongside Claude Giroux and Raffl and set up the first goal. Simmonds shook a check in the corner before passing cross-ice to Giroux inside the left circle; Giroux held the puck briefly before sending the puck back the other way for Raffl to tip past Lack from the top of the crease.

Edler tied it a little less than four minutes later after a nice play by center Brad Richardson at the side of the net. Richardson used the heel of his skate to redirect Derek Dorsett’s centering pass through the crease to Edler, who waited patiently before lifting a backhand shot up and over a prone Mason from a sharp angle.

Each goaltender made a handful of great saves, and each got a break when the opposition hit the post on a good chance.

Flyers defenseman Carlo Colaiacovo hit the crossbar from the point six minutes into the game, and Canucks forward Jannik Hansen did the same on a hard one-timer 4:40 into the second period.

Lack made his best save with his glove when he stopped Nick Cousins, who was making his NHL debut, alone in the low slot with six minutes left in the second period. Vancouver tied the game 30 seconds later.

Mason made a great stop off Bo Horvat late in the second period and stopped Shawn Matthias two minutes into the third. His best save was a gloved robbery of Vrbata from in close 5:30 into the third; however, Burrows, who also missed six games through early March, put Vancouver ahead to stay just over a minute later.