Flyers Beat Blackhawks, 3-1
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ivan Provorov admitted he was motivated to make his second career game against the Chicago Blackhawks a lot better than his first.
The 19-year-old rookie defenseman did just that, scoring twice and prevented one by the Blackhawks to help the Philadelphia Flyers beat Chicago, 3-1, on Saturday.
Provorov was on the ice for five Blackhawks goals in their 7-4 at home over the Flyers on Oct. 18.
"I didn't play my best in that game, but I put it behind me, learned from it and it was a better result tonight," Provorov said "I tried to use it as a positive thing and prove that's not me."
Provorov scored 31 seconds apart early in the second period to help the Flyers get their fourth straight win. Brayden Schenn also scored and Steve Mason stopped 26 shots.
Artemi Panarin scored his ninth of the season for the Blackhawks, who lost in regulation for the first time in five games, snapping a 3-0-1 streak. Scott Darling had 27 saves in his eighth appearance of the season.
Darling was pressed into action after starter Corey Crawford underwent an emergency appendectomy.
"His procedure went pretty well today, he's probably going to be out two to three weeks," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "Thanks to our medical staff and the Flyers' medical staff today. They did a great job of helping us out."
Chicago was also without captain Jonathan Toews for the fourth straight game. Sidelined with a lower body injury, Toews remained in Chicago and is questionable for Sunday's home game against his hometown Winnipeg Jets.
The Blackhawks opened the scoring 3:44 in when Panarin took a pass from Artem Anisimov and one-timed a shot past Mason for his ninth of the season and his first in five games.
Provorov took over from there. The Flyers' top pick in the 2015 NHL draft (seventh overall) tied the score 3:02 into the second period when he blasted a shot past Darling for his second career NHL goal.
Provorov gave the Flyers the lead 31 seconds later when he wristed a shot that fluttered past Darling's blocker for the first two-goal game of his career.
"He is a guy that continues to work at his game, and continues to build," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said of Provorov. "He didn't do a whole lot different tonight than he has really over the last 10 games. It was nice to see a couple of those pucks go in for him. They were good plays by him and the other guys on the ice, obviously that is really important for us at that time in the hockey game."
Schenn gave the Flyers a 3-1 lead at the 8:37 of the second, taking a nice feed from rookie Travis Konecny and beating Darling from close range for his fourth.
The Flyers' biggest save of the night might have come from Provorov, who swatted a bouncing puck out of the goal crease with 3:22 remaining in the second period to preserve a two-goal lead.
The Blackhawks thought they scored when Richard Panik jabbed a loose puck under Mason's legs. But Provorov reached behind the goalie and swatted the puck off the goal line. After a video review, the officials ruled the replay inconclusive, denying Panik the goal.
"They obviously look at it real closely," Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson said. "Of course we wanted the goal but you just have to trust that they are doing everything they can and I do think they look at is as much as they can, so they know more than I do, but obviously we wanted to have that goal, but it happens."
NOTES: Flyers D Radko Gudas was a healthy scratch for the first time this season and was replaced with D Brandon Manning, who missed the previous two games with a concussion. ... Blackhawks D Trevor van Riemsdyk returned to the lineup after missing 23 games with an upper body injury.
UP NEXT
Flyers: At Nashville on Sunday.
Bruins: Host Winnipeg on Sunday.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
