Giroux, Voracek Lead Flyers To 3-1 Win Over Blackhawks
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek each had a goal and two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers over the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Thursday night.
Brian Elliott made 38 saves and Sean Couturier also scored for the Flyers, who avenged last Wednesday's 3-0 loss at Chicago while beating the Blackhawks for the 14th straight time in Philadelphia during the regular season.
Chicago's last regular-season victory at Philadelphia came on Nov. 9, 1996. The Blackhawks did clinch their 2010 Stanley Cup title with a Game 6 win on the Flyers' home ice.
Connor Murphy scored for the Blackhawks.
Couturier upped his team-leading total to 10 goals by finishing Giroux's pass from close range four minutes into the second period to give Philadelphia a 3-0 lead.
Chicago got on the board with 3:47 remaining in the second when Murphy scored on a rebound from the left circle. Murphy's father, Gord, is a Flyers assistant and watched the goal from the bench.
That was the only goal the Blackhawks could muster despite coach Joel Quenneville reuniting the top line of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp in hopes of kick-starting Chicago's tepid offense. It was to little avail, though, and the Blackhawks now have three goals in their last three games.
The Blackhawks had a chance to pull closer during a 5-on-3 power play near the end of the period, but the Flyers were able to kill it off.
The Flyers, playing with pep in their step after four days off, took a 2-0 lead with a pair of first-period goals in a strong opening 20 minutes.
Giroux opened the scoring five minutes in by firing a one-timer from the slot past Corey Crawford. Voracek put Philadelphia ahead by two with 7:52 left in the period when he scored on a one-timer from the right circle after a cross-ice pass from Shayne Gostisbehere.
Crawford stopped 28 shots.
NOTES: Chicago D Gustav Forsling returned after missing three straight games with an upper-body injury. . Flyers rookie Nolan Patrick missed his seventh consecutive game with an upper-body injury, but did skate on his own during the morning skate. He is targeting a return next Tuesday at Minnesota. . The Flyers held a moment of silence before the game for former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay, who died in a plane crash Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Blackhawks: Play at Carolina on Saturday night.
Flyers: Finish a three-game homestand Saturday night with the first of two straight games against Minnesota.
(Copyright 2017 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
